Forever Hunters
by GunmanZero
Summary: DMCBuffy The final to the siege of Sunnydale's mall revised:) please RR too AGAIN MESSAGE TO EVERYONE: I NEED HELP IF I WANT TO FINISH THE STORY. INTERESTED? MAIL ME.
1. Foreword

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Well as you see, this is my first entry ever here. I am not good as others or something. I am just some guy who tries out writing for a hobby. I based it on Devil May Cry and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dimensions, since both main characters have some similarities, and setting it together in present USA (duh!). I am familiar with DMC but not so with Buffy so please bear with it. Well I try to update when I can cause of college stress. And please reviewers dont be hard on me. I know its been a while since my last writing in english. So go ahead and enjoy!  
  
GunmanZero 


	2. Hunter's meeting

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 1: Hunter's meeting  
  
"Damn!"   
  
Dante slammed the receiver on his desk. It was the 14th bogus call today. Ever since the battle against Mundus and his "comfortable " trip back from hell after beating the crap out of Arius, every devil and demon dissapeared from the face of the earth. No more slaying, killing or sending monsters back to the deepest pits of hell. Only some baby jobs like bodyguarding, cleaning terrorists camps, even babysitting! The only reason he took these jobs was because he went low on cash. Though he had cash plenty enough already, Dante longed for the day he would finally get back to some heavy action. He waited already for a year and his temper is not holding that long enough. Trish though, seeing that she would finally have a chance to relax from her duties, took a plane and headed for a world tour with her "partially" demon friends. When she asked Dante if he would tag along, he said that he had a gut feeling that something might be coming soon. Well, Trish trusted her demands more than Dante's gut so she took off. It has been 4 months already since she left. Dante noticed at the date on the postcard she sent from her adventures in the world. He threw the card on his desk and leaned back on his couch to watch TV.   
  
"Nothing but bordom!", he said, blaming the programs as he zapped through the channels.  
  
The phone rang again. Dante was already to tired to pick it up. He did not want to increase his record to 15 bogus calls. Though, the phone still rang even after a minute or so.   
  
"Must be very desperate to call me. I hope for his sake he got something interesting!"  
  
Dante picked the call and greeted the caller with his new greeting.  
  
"Devil Never Cry! No monsters, no service!"   
  
"Ah Mr. Dante I presume?"  
  
The voice on the other end sounded more gay than he had heard before...  
  
"Who are you, a pimp for men? Sorry, we don't hook homos!"  
  
"Oh, how rude! So thats means that you don't want to hear what I have to say? Guns have voices, you know."  
  
Dante got excited. Password. He slowly sat in front of his desk and turned the phone to him.  
  
"So pimp, you've got my attention. Hope for your sake it's worth it!"  
  
"Oh I bet you will like this Mr. Dante. Ever heard of Sunnydale, California?"  
  
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Buffy was bored. No more action for quite some time. Though she felt happy that the forces of evil have taken a break from all the killing, blood drinking and destroying the world, she kinda missed the fighting. Yeah, fighting vampires all night is fighting but it slowly got more boring than she thought. Next time she would spend the rest of the night with Dawn and a DVD for something. Dammit, she even considered to SPEND some time with Dawn...   
  
"Oh well, guess I am calling it a night."  
  
She was about to leave the graveyard when her senses kicked in. Turning around she saw her usual enemies.   
  
"Finally, it took you sometime. I was about to do something with my sister!"  
  
She stabbed the first vampire.   
  
"I thank hell this time that you guys came, but I think you would relay the message for me, would you?"  
  
The vampire just grunted. Hungry for blood, he mindlessly threw himself on the slayer. Buffy dodged and sent him with a roundhouse kick onto a stone, while a few more vampires digged their way up to the surface.   
  
"This would be something a bit different," she thought seeing a wolfpack of vampires surrounding her.  
  
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A Harly slowly battered through the empty streets of Sunnydale. Well, not too empty though. There was a crowd of party hungry students gathered together few blocks further for a club.   
  
"Think I am going to avoid it," Dante thought as he drove past the club and into a gas station which was nearby. Dropping his backpack and his Sparda, which he packed into an oversized cello case so that it would not be too revealing. He already had enough trouble to get that cello case made. Well, it was also stupid to ride a bike with that case on the back. Next time he would buy a decent car.  
  
"Hey Beethoven!!!"  
  
A group of drunk and punky looking guys approached Dante as he was filling gas into the tank.  
  
"Nice bike..."  
  
"Yeah so? Now get lost!"  
  
"Hey, hey, hey, my friend." One of the drunks put an arm on Dante's shoulder. "I think that we can cool down here. Whats some biker doing with a big guitar case?"  
  
"Your knowledge reflects your ugly face, punk. And its a cello case."  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
The punks grouped around in a circle, centering Dante and their boss. Dante knew what was going to happen...  
  
"You know what, since you are a stupid white haired Beethoven ass and insulted me, I think we just take your bike and your guitar case."  
  
"Oh is that so?" Dante opened up his arms. "So then, give it your best shot, punk!"  
  
The boss could not believe it. That beethoven thought he could beat him? A major figure in street and bar fights. He laughed ... and sent his fist into Dante's stomach.  
  
"Ohhhhh, shit"  
  
Dante dropped backwards and fell on his knees. He put his hands on his stomach and cried out in pain.  
  
"Hah sissy, can't even bear that! Well I think I take my trophy. Guys, make him cry even more."  
  
He turned around and walked to the bike, while the rest gathered around Dante. He laughed as he heard punches and kicks pounding into human bodies. Unfortunatly though he failed to realize who was pounding whom. He was about to get on Dante's Harly as one of his friends flew past him into a commercial sign. Turning around he saw Dante, fresh and relaxed, in front of him.   
  
"Any last wishes, punk?"  
  
The store clerk just watched with an open mouth as Dante pummeled the crap out of the boss. Once finished, Dante walked toward the store.   
  
"Typical for a student infested town, isn't it? Number 3, please..."  
  
The clerk could not get his mouth shut.  
  
"Hello? Number 3, Mister!"  
  
The clerk snapped back to reality. He quickly accessed the computer to determine the price. But slowly grapped a revolver with the other hand as Dante was looking for money in his wallet.   
  
"Is it usual here to point a gun at a man who is paying for gas and a bottle of water?"  
  
The clerk broke into more sweat as Dante was obviously refering to him. He still could not let go of the gun though as Dante handed him the money and took off. He just stood there, stoned... and with damages of a commercial sign, a broken coke machine and an undiscribable fear of a white haired man. How should he explain these events to his boss?   
  
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Buffy was still busy fighting the wolfpack. They were stronger than she thought. Obviously because they were all football players. She remembered the incident in which a whole away team dissappeared on their free day before the match against Sunnydale. Well, anyway, they were tough... and they stink like hell. As she slammed one to the ground and killed him, another was about to "shovel" her away. Bullets flew and send the shovel and himself into the air. Everyone turned to the mysterious figure who stood in the shadows.  
  
"Guess I am late for the party."  
  
The football vampires stood still for a second, then everyone charged at the gunman, leaving Buffy behind. The gunman moaned in boredom as he emptied his gun and searched his pocket for another magazine. As the enemy were closing in fast, he took his time and inserted the mag into his gun. The mindless footballers were about to tackle the man as the first one got a gun on his face. The first bullet left the gun with a bang, blowing the footballers brains out and turning him into sand. Soon the rest of the team followed, as the gunman shot the rest of the vampires.   
  
"Great, this guy is stealing my show..."  
  
But Buffy was not alone. The shovel vampire was back and about to "shovel" her again. Buffy easily rolled away, sweepkicked and stabbed him.  
  
"At least I got the last one, phew..."  
  
Buffy raised from the ground and faced the mystery man.   
  
"Hey, you stealed my vampires! You could at least go to some other part of the cemetary."  
  
The gunman appeared from the shadows still aiming at her. Unlike other people, he was wearing a complete red battle outfit with coat. His hair was shiny white and his expression on his face was as badass as he looked. Though dazzled by his looks, Buffy gripped her weapon tigher, preparing for another battle. He pulled the trigger sending the bullet on its way. But instead of hitting her, it hit another vampire right behind her. Relieved, she lessend up but still looked angrily at the man. He stood still as he reloaded his gun again.  
  
"Hey, at least you can do is apologise for almost shooting me!"  
  
The man let go a small moan.  
  
"This is great, first I got a nice meeting with street punks and now I am getting bitched by some girl whom I saved from death. A nice place is this here."  
  
Buffy cooled down a bit. Though she kept herself hyper because she had no idea who he was and what he would do next. Her senses also went crazy on him. He is definitly not a normal man. Might be a demon, or some other mystical dark power? She leaned back on a gravestone to relax from the fight.  
  
"Well, then since you had a rough introduction to Sunnydale you should know that there are good things around here. And thanks again for the help."  
  
"Don't mention it. At least I got some action and a friendly greeting for the first time here."  
  
Buffy let out a small smile.  
  
"So what is your business here?"  
  
"Looking for a woman who usually hangs out on graveyards slaying vamps. Buffy Summers her name is. Its you isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, That would be me. Buffy Summers, the Slayer of Sunnydale."  
  
"Some guy told me to come here and meet up with you then I would receive further instructions and info. Said that he was your watcher."  
  
"Didn't hear anything about that. What was his name?" Buffy gripped her weapon again.  
  
"Some English dude named Rupert Giles. And you can let go of your stick. I won't kill you."  
  
"Thanks for the reminder. Well, he haven't told me anything about it. Think you should ask him yourself. I will take you to him."  
  
The gunman holstered his gun and walked to his Harly.  
  
"Well, then up for a ride?"  
  
"Sure, too tired to walk. By the way, I didn't catch your name?"  
  
"Dante." 


	3. A surprising job

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 2: A surprising job  
  
"Hey, you don't have to go that fast!"  
  
Buffy locked her arms around Dante's waist more tighter after she almost slipped form a sharp turn.   
  
"Can't help it! I love the speed. And besides I don't want to get shit faced by some punks again."  
  
"Is it because that huge case. What is in there anyway?"  
  
"That's nothing of your concern!"  
  
Buffy just let a slight "aha" escape from her lips. Soon, Dante stopped in front of her house. They got off the bike and walked to the door. But before Buffy opened the lock, she faced Dante again.   
  
"Ok, hotshot. Just one more thing, hide your guns. I don't want that my sister goes crazy again and bombard you with questions, OK?"  
  
Dante just nodded. He unloaded the guns and put them into his bag. Buffy released another sigh. At lease she could be sure that he did not attempt to shoot her. The house was at its usual shape. Full of chips, coke, pizza, a sleeping Giles and a tired and pissed-off Dawn. Dawn wanted to go so badly hunting with her sister, but Buffy would always come with the usual "its too early, practice more and then..." line.   
  
"Hows the hunting?" Dawn asked in a tired mood.  
  
"The usual. This time with a guest!"  
  
Dawn turned around and her eyes brightend up. A red clothed man with white hair, like Spike's, stood in front of her. Her excitement highend up again.   
  
"Hey man.. Nice outfit. Who are you? A Demon? An Angel? Or..."  
  
"Woh, thats enough kid... I am just here for a job. Where is that "Giles"?  
  
Buffy punched the sleeping man awake. Giles, who had been buried by chips, which Dawn spilled when she reached for it, fought out of his dark prison. He was kinda still dreaming though. Still walking like a drunk. Too bad that reality came faster than he expected. That dream was huh yeah "good" after all. Anyways, after he slapped all the food away and put his glasses on, he recognised why he was woken up.  
  
"Ah Mr. Dante I presume.."  
  
"Yeah, And you must be that pimp voice..."  
  
Buffy and Dawn raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Pimp? Giles???" they both shouted.  
  
"Ohhh nonono, calm down, girls. Its just my voice sounded a bit homosexually over the phone. Might have been the connection."  
  
"Hope so. I see that you ARE a full grown man."  
  
"Well thanks...."  
  
Giles stared at him again after understanding the insult. That guy is the total trashtalking machine. He walked back to Buffy.  
  
"Well, I guess you have met Buffy and Dawn Summers?"  
  
"Oh yeah!" Dawn could not take her eyes of that man. Buffy noticed it and slammed her on the head.  
  
"Ouch, what the hell was that for?"  
  
"Don't get any funny ideas! He is probably 10 years older than you! And you don't even know him"  
  
"I am old enough to look at any man I want! Besides you would just do it with every dead man you would meet!"  
  
The sibling rivalry started again. Giles was experienced enough in this event though he took some time to seperate them. Meanwhile Dante dropped his stuff and sat down on the couch. He took the open bag of chips and crunched around while he watched Giles doing his work. After that, the trio took a seat on the adjacent couch, while Dawn dropped herself besides Dante. Buffy though pulled her away again and stared at her angrily. She just stuck her tounge out.  
  
"So Mr. Dante, how was your trip to Sunnydale?"  
  
"Better than I thought. So now stop the talk and get down to business. I don't want to waste the time chatting while the action is waiting out there."  
  
"Well yes, I mean, you would not be seeing action outside but more with my slayer here!"  
  
Dante leaned back.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about? Are you now really a pimp or what?"  
  
Buffy was about to stand up and smack him, but Giles held her off.  
  
"Well, since you are a prominent figure in the demon hunting business I would like you to train my slayer."  
  
Dante sat there, stoned, and with an open mouth. Now he took all the time, energy and money to get to California to teach a girl how to fight? And she IS fighting alright. So why the hell did she need more training? Buffy was also surprised. Why the hell would she need more training from that trashtalking freak? Dawn though was happy.  
  
"So now, you are telling me to come here all the way to train her?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"I am outta here!"  
  
"Wait, wait, wait! Please let me explain!"  
  
"Does it have to do with a big devil rising and bringing the apocalypse?"  
  
"Well, we don't know it yet but..."  
  
"I am outta here!"  
  
Dante grabbed his stuff and headed toward the door. Giles tried to stop him again. Buffy though was confused and Dawn was sad that such a hot guy left again. Dante was pissed off like the devil. He just wanted a nice job where you would slay demons, kill the big boss and earn a load of cash. But instead he was lured here to teach a girl how to fight. That was enough. Though as soon as he slammed the door open, a vampire stood right in front of him. Thirsting for blood he fletched his teeth ready to suck the first human empty. Dante just stood and looked at the monster with a grim expression.  
  
"Damn you are ugly..." and kicked the monster 10 m away from him. He looked up again and saw more vamps emerging from the darkness. Dante became excited...  
  
"Everyone stay in here!" he said and packed his weapons out including his sword. Thank god that he had silver bullets with him. As he shut the door behind him, knowing that no vamp would enter uninvited unless the owner of the house is dead, he slowly walked to the middle of the front garden, while the vamps are garthering in a circle around him. Buffy, Dawn and Giles just watched Dante from the window.   
  
"What is that sword on his back? Looks soo cool!" Dawn stared at the Sparda on Dante's back. Buffy now would take a weapon and help Dante although he was a dick, but Giles held her back.  
  
"Now he will show you why I brought him here to train you."  
  
Back to Dante, he looked at his watch.  
  
"Hmm 10 vamps, lets say 10 seconds, shall we?"  
  
The vamps were uninterested by his talk. The first one could not hold it any longer and charged. Dante drew Ebony and blew him to dust. 1. The second one charged from behind but only to be blasted by Ivory. 2. Now everyone charged. Dante managed the next 3 ones but the last 5 came in too close. Time for sword action. He drew the Sparda and sliced one vamp's head off while kickjumping into the air. Whielding the sword smoothly, Dante cut the rest of the vamps into pieces leaving only one with an arm left. The vampire knew he had no chance.   
  
"Useless scum, run while you can!" Dante said while pointing Ivory at him.   
  
The vamp stood up and ran away only to be turned into dust a few meters further. Dante holstered his gun back.  
  
"Alas, my finger must have slipped. Sorry for that!"  
  
Buffy could not believe what she just saw. In less than 5 seconds, Dante killed the entire gang of vamps. With that speed and strength and that sword, he could not possibly be human. As soon as he entered again, she grabbed the nearest weapon and held it on his throat.   
  
"So now, I thank you for the work you did for me, but who are you really. No human can do this scene you pulled off?"  
  
Dante stood there silently. Then he sidestepped and grabbed the stick, while sending Buffy to the ground.   
  
"Guess we need some work here, and I am human enough, thank you very much! Pimp, I think I like this town now. I will take the job, for now.... But I hope the pay and the monsters are good!"  
  
Giles smiled relieved, while Buffy had trouble getting up and Dawn grinning excitingly.  
  
"So, what is that sword exactly?" 


	4. The training begins

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 3: The training begins  
  
Buffy smacked the alarm clock. She forgot to turn it off since there is no work on Saturday (duh!). It was still dark outside Still tired and confused by the events from last night, she pulled the covers over her again and tried to sleep. However, she could not get her mind off that Dante guy. What in the hell is he really? Completly human would not be the right definition. The way he killed off those vamps out there was not human at all. Though Giles used his explanation of intense training and experience, she would say that it has to do with dark powers. Might be that he is a human with dark powers like Willow. But her keen Slayer senses were going wild around him, like he is some sort of higher demon or something else. Huh, might be the strong dark powers too. And that sword. Completely organic. And brutally heavy. Dawn asked to hold it once and she almost sliced the floor in two if it weren't for that Dante. He said that he found this useful thing in one of his jobs. Though it might apart from his sword Buffy woundn't believe that he is "human enough". She would find out sooner or later.  
  
There was also something else. Giles briefed them about the increased demon activity in the world. The number of incidents over the world increased slowly and unnocitible, but they were increasing. He set the example on her usual hunting yesterday and the incident outside her house. They were only on one day, but another count for the increasing world incidents. But if we were talking about the whole world, then why the hell was Sunnydale the same as usual? Vamps killing people, her killing vamps. Dante thought that she would not notice the difference cause she is blonde. Buffy would have killed him instantly, including her sister who was laughing all the way. She could have sworn that he was becoming more an ass the longer he stayed here. Anyway Dante also mentioned that he would normally have a shitload of jobs to do then, but there were no calls at all. Also the number of deaths of demon hunters were increasing. That was very strange since he was a demon hunter after all and he had no big fights before he got to Sunnydale. Giles drew an early conclusion that the powers of darkness would be going after demon hunters first. He might be going back to London for a while to check with the council.   
  
"Click, click..."  
  
Buffy did not move at all, though anyone would have jumped up, grabbed a saw-off and blew the first guy right away. She knew that sound to well now. They were from Dante's guns. He was probably cleaning them. But why outside her window? Was he doing this intentionally just to piss her off? Probably... She ignored the sounds and tried to get to sleep.  
  
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Leaning on the wall adjacent to the window, Dante was cleaning his guns while humming a song along. He had these guns since he started the business long ago. Ever since his loss of his mother and brother, he swore revenge on those who did this. A greenhorn at that time, he started with only the sword, that his father left him and went rampage on every monster he saw. During one of those rampage nights he crossed swords with a cloaked hunter. Though his strength and speed were unmatched, the hunter beat him easily with 6 shots off his colt single action army. Though he did not let him rott. Instead he took him under his wing and tought him the skills of combat and handling battle situations. The guns themselves were modified from 2 old colt 1911 45ers. But Dante modified the guns so much that it would almost looked brand new. New slide, increased mag capacity, robust material, better accuracy etc. Even the hunter was surprised by the work of his student. His sword skills were also partly form him mixing Japanese Samurai sword techniques with pure strength, Trash-it-Dante style the hunter used to call it. After a couple of months of intense training and hunting, the hunter left Dante after he learned everything he could. He said that his work is done here and he would pass the torch onwards to other hunters. "We must pass on what we learned, otherwise who would be there to protect this world!" These were the last words before he left. Since then he had no contact, no word, not even a postcard from him. And now he is going to pass on skills to that Buffy girl. Seems like it was predestined already. Maybe that is what we were here for. Someone does it, someone remembers, everybody passes it on.  
  
"Damn, hope that I don't get too soft. But that is some chick I gotta work on."  
  
With that in mind, he continued to clean his guns and waited for the sun to rise.  
  
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"Aaarggg!!" Buffy cried out in pain after she fell on the floor again. Dante walked around, waiting for her to get up.  
  
"Ah comon, Slayer! Is that all you can pull off? Seems like a wonder that you are still alive!"  
  
Buffy couldn't stand this any longer. They already fought against themselves more than half an hour nonstop and he still can't let go of his trash-talk. Shit, he is even better than her in that!   
  
"Don't talk boy, just die!"  
  
"Thats the spirit! Come on, I am waiting!"  
  
Buffy stood up again, while Dante got back into his fighting stance. Buffy started to throw a few punches followed by a set of roundhouse kicks and sweeps. However, they hit nothing but air. Dante was just too fast. Even with slayer powers, he just wouldn't get hit. It was like some bad dream. Or even a nightmare. Anyway, Buffy fought with almost every ounce of strength left in her. Even that though wasn't enough. Dante caught her last tornado kick and threw her up in the air. Buffy did not care anymore. Fine, he was much better than her, but why is he showing off so much? What the hell is the deal anyway with training her? Wasn't she good and experienced enough already? Didn't she saved the world more than countless times? It just made her sick! She returned back to reality when Dante caught her.  
  
"You can punch and kick, but that is all you can do! Enemies don't fight in a pattern. You never know what they are up to next! Always be creative!"  
  
Buffy was sick of his mouth and threw her fist towards Dante's face, which he caught easily. Dante smiled and released his student to rest. He threw her a bottle of water though she was too tired to even catch it. What a day! She was tired, got beaten up by some ass and her shirt was soaked in sweat like she would drown in it. She grabbed the bottle and let the water flow over her head.   
  
"Is that normal how you treat your students?"  
  
Dante didn't turn around. He was too busy drinking and wiping of the sweat from his face.   
  
"You are my first one," he said in a monoistic tone.  
  
Dawn appeared in front of the door with a bag full of water and bananas. She was grinning again after she saw the good work Dante did on her sister. Buffy looked up to notice something different on Dawn.  
  
"Dawn, what are you doing in sport clothes?"  
  
"Training, like you sis!"  
  
"Go ahead then. I am done for now!"  
  
Dawn got happy and ran towards Dante to receive her first training. Buffy walked back to her bagpack and sat down on the side of the door. The cool breeze gently blew of the sweat from her face. It was wonderful.   
  
"Tired already?"  
  
Giles leaned on the side of the door, effectively blocking the cool wind. Buffy couldn't care less. She let her head fell on the otherside while listening to Dawn's grunts.  
  
"You weren't that tired when you trained with me! What is wrong?"  
  
"What do you think? Dante drives me nuts! He could at least be a bit friendly like to her."  
  
Buffy used her head to point at Dante and Dawn. He showed her the usual self-defense stuff. But more gently and easily. Buffy knew that Dawn was a greenie in fighting, but she would expect some friendliness at least. Not like this make-me-down and trash-me attitude she got when she fought Dante. Giles just shook his head.  
  
"You are already experienced. He would not go friendly with you cause you know how it is when fighting enemies. I did not go and just pick up random people, Buffy. I chose him because of his knowledge and experience in this kind of field. And since the happenings that I told you last night, I thought it might be better that you would get some more professional teaching than from me."  
  
"I would prefer your boring talk more than this guy's trash!"  
  
Giles lifted his glasses a bit.  
  
"Thats good to hear. And by the way I will be flying on Tuesday to a meeting with the newly formed council. They have recalled all surviving watchers. I hope I will get out something from there!"  
  
"Lets just hope for the sake of all of us!"  
  
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Buffy got up after she staked the last vampire back to hell. Dante and Dawn were leaning against a gravestone, while Dante looked deeply concentrated. He was analysing the whole fight against the vampires. Though he seemed neither happy nor angry at Buffy's performance. Dawn though was just focused on her neighbor. Buffy had let her come this time cause, one, she would be safe with Dante, and two, she would shut up for a while. Why did she trust her sister's life with him anyways? They didn't even know each other for long! Well, yeah a week passed by already but still.... She could not understand why she would trust him with someone important in her life. Anyways, no time to think about it now. She is safe alright, that is what matters. Buffy walked back towards her audience to receive her "report".  
  
"What now? Good enough? See I killed everyone without a scratch!"  
  
Dante raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Scratch, then what is this?" He pointed at the small open scar on her neck. Buffy didn't seem to care.  
  
"So? What about it? I am still alive you know!"  
  
Dante started to walk around, beginning his insight.  
  
"You are too open. Easy to hit! You fight too predictable. More easily to kill! Now this is just a wolfpack but when you are up against a large number, then you gotta refine your strategies. Improvise, Buffy! Improvise! And one more thing. Speed is all that counts in this. Strength, Endurance, Agility, count them all, are secondary. The faster you are, the faster you kill.  
  
Buffy was impressed, but also pissed.  
  
"Hmm, you know that is the first time you actually said something more appropriate! Did you had an enlightenment recently?"  
  
Dante laughed. This girl was good!  
  
"Dante, Buffy. I think we have more company!"   
  
Dawn pointed at the rising vampires behind her sister. They were a number alright. About 14. Dante pulled out his guns and gave them to both Dawn and Buffy.   
  
"Lean back and enjoy! I will take care of these suckers!"  
  
Buffy remembered something. Normal bullets have never killed vampires before.  
  
"Hey, you sure these are loaded with the right stuff?"  
  
Dante clicked off both mags and showed them to both.  
  
"Silver bullets, babe. I made some more while you were sleeping all afternoon. Now if you excuse me, but Sparda is hungry!"  
  
Buffy and Dawn watched him speeding off. That guy must be hungry for demon-slaying, alright. Dawn took a look at the shining gun in her hands. Ivory. Wonder why he named them so. And that sword, he called it Sparda. An unusual name for it. Maybe there is something in the books about this sword. Dawn's attention though quickly returned to the deadly toy in her hands.   
  
"Must have been like his life's work! Look at the design of it."  
  
She handed it over to her sis, but Buffy seemed uninterested. She just watched Dante slaying the vamps to dust with that oversized sword. What a show-off! She took aim with Ebony at Dante. She wanted to pull so badly if it hasn't been for her common sense and her sister. If the world would really be "only the strongest survive" she would have pulled the trigger right away.   
  
"Yeah well just hope they work!"  
  
Buffy reaimed though and shot the vamp right next to her. Thank god for her reflex-like senses. Then she handed the gun to Dawn and drew her stake.   
  
"Dawn, I will be trusting you that you don't shoot me. I think I will stick to my own style. Be seeing you!"   
  
Dawn watched as the two hunters did their duties. Then she noticed a small group of three vamps approaching Dante from the left side. She took a look at the guns again.   
  
"I guess I might be useful for something," she thought, while aiming at the vamps. 


	5. Meeting the Gang

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 4: Meeting the gang   
  
"I am going to show that girl some manners when she wakes up!"  
  
Buffy was referring to Dawn, who slept on Dante's back while giveing her a piggyback ride. During the fight with the vamps, Dawn used Dante's guns to shoot some of them, unfortunatly hitting Dante too. Thank goodness that it was just a small scratch on his torso. Well not exactly thank goodness, but still he could have died cause of Dawn's intervention in the fight. While Buffy still thought about a proper punishment, Dawn mumbled something during her sleep.   
  
"Ssssorryyy... hmmm... Dante.... please...."  
  
Poor child. She really liked this guy. Too bad that her sister did not feel the same way. Though they did come along better than in the beginning. Dante took a look at the sleeping face on his right shoulder and smiled. What a girl! Buffy gently stroke her brown hair with her fingers.   
  
"Next time I will keep the guns for myself! She will never touch one again!"  
  
Dante smiled again.  
  
"Remember to give them back to me though!"  
  
As they entered through door of the Summer's home, the entire gang was waiting for them in the living room. Willow stormed at Buffy followed by Xander and Anya. Spike remained on the couch to watch some TV.   
  
"Buffy, how are you?" Willow hugged her best friend tight. "We have been waiting for you like for ages. Had a busy night? "We did something for you and Dawn in case you are still hungry. Try it. It's taste good, less calories and makes you full with one plate!"   
  
Buffy was grateful. It was always good to have friends, no more family around you, who take care of you. Willow's eyes turned to the stranger with the oversized sword.   
  
"And who is this?"  
  
"Oh well, this is my uhmm trainer. Dante! Dante, Xander, Willow, Anya, and that lazy bum over there is Spike"  
  
Dante just nodded everyone and gave the sleeping figure to Xander who carried her to her room. Willow noticed the wound that was on Dante's torso.  
  
"Oh my, that's bloody," She grabbed his hand. "Come I will fix it for you!"   
  
Dante tried to refuse, but gave in to Willow's stroppy attitude. While she disinfect and bandaged his wound, she and Buffy talked about their small trip to LA to talk to Angel. It seems like there is more demon activity in LA too than before. Even on their way to LA, the group encountered a gang of these bloodsuckers.  
  
"So Giles's theory has some meat in it," Buffy thought.  
  
They all settled down in the living room. The whole gang stared at the new member of the group, like he is some higher being or something. Spike seemed to express no interest on the new fellow. He just continued to watch TV, while Willow started her usual interrogation.  
  
"So Dante, you also hunt demons right?"  
  
"Yeah, but more as a job than a duty."  
  
"Then you must have done it for a long time, since you are teaching Buffy how to you know..."  
  
"I'd just say long enough."  
  
Spike caught attention of the last quote.  
  
"So makes you at least 300 years old?"  
  
"No, buddy I am human. Sick to think of living long anyways."  
  
"Wanna try it, you might change your mind..."  
  
Buffy threw an angry look at Spike.  
  
"Just kidding, babe... Man can't you say something without being stalked to death by her?"  
  
Dante agreed, saying that one word about her could drive her to madness. Buffy had enough of this. Spike and Dante could make the go-on-my-nerves-duo. Willow continued.  
  
"So then where do you come from?"  
  
"NY, the place where something is always happening."  
  
"A long way wasn't it?"  
  
"Unless the money and monsters are good I will cross almost anything."  
  
"Oh well that is interesting..."  
  
"Lady are you interrogating me? If so you are doing it pretty lousy."  
  
Xander jumped in.  
  
"Watch your tounge, she might burn it!"  
  
"Yeah or do other bad or destructive tricks on you so YOU BETTER WATCH IT!"  
  
Anja heavily expressed the last phrase. They all knew too well what happend when she went mental after the death of Tara. Willow shook her head.  
  
"You guys are just impossible sometimes. Well, Dante its just natural that we want to get to know you better since you are staying here for a while"  
  
"Well, OK then but loosen up! You sound more like something is going to destroy the world."  
  
"Yeah, she always is..."  
  
"ANYA!!!!!"  
  
Some time passed. The group have spread all over the first floor of the Summer's home. While the girls hung out in the kitchen, Spike, Dante and Xander were talking about the beauty of Baywatch. Xander later joined the girls in the kitchen, where they had a serious talk about Buffy's new trainer.  
  
"Well, Buffy he looks normal apart from that huge sword."  
  
"Willow, this guy is different. I can sense it! I mean I won't believe that he is really human although Dawn and Giles think otherwise."  
  
"Wanna try and stake him and see what happens?"  
  
"It would be a good idea Anya, but if he is really human he would be really pissed."  
  
"Not pissed, but dead! So then there is no big deal! And it is a 50-50 thingy!"  
  
"Yeah and so, if he is really human then we are responsible for cleaning a dead body and explaining his friends or so who or what killed him, not to mention that they will kill us first. And if he is not human then he would do the killing himself."  
  
"Yeah, Xander is right. Right now lets just see that we get along with him, well me actually more. Willow, Can you try to find any info about this guy, including the word Sparda. Its the sword he uses."  
  
"I'll see what I can do."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dante sat again on his place on the roof nearby Buffy's window, cleaning his guns. After the interrogation by the scoobie gang, they all called it a day and decided to "get to know Dante more" tommorow. Dante looked down at his bandage. Lucky that he could conceal the real shots. They were right under his rip cage spreading into the middle. Three Bullets. A normal man would have died already from blood loss. But since when IS he human. The wound was beginning to close. His devil powers will ensure that the metal in him would be taken care off. It's good to keep a low profile, or better not to let them know that he is half devil. That would just complicate matters, especially with that Slayer, who is just hungry to kill the next minions from hell. He took the remaining bandage and burned it. They wouldn't know the difference anyways with that clothing he has on... Well, they won't tell the difference anyways. Willow might be able to see through this but well, hell she is not even real human. Dark powers are radiating from her all the time. Even Anya and Spike are from different species. The only actual human would be that Xander guy. Poor guy actually. The only actual human in a collection of demon hunting freaks. Dante continued to clean his guns while trying to think how to fake his wound best.   
  
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Dawn silently walked on her tiptoes down the stairs. She still felt a bit tired from last nights events but also felt hungry. So hungry she could eat an entire cow. Well not that much but something like it. She wanted actually to wake Dante to excuse her bad aim but that can wait. The entire house was neat and clean thanks to Xander, Anya, and Willow. Spike couldn't care less about the house unless his little room in the basement would have windows. The cleaning-maids were sleeping on the couch covered in books and papers. Almost looked like a group of suck-ups on a bad day. Dawn sneaked past the sleeping figures and through the kitchen door only to be shocked by Dante's presence. She almost screamed her guts out like in the Scream movies.   
  
"Morning, bulls-eye!"  
  
Dawn recovered from her "little surprise" and started her apology speech.   
  
"Well, look, I am really sorry what happend that night and that I just wanted..."  
  
"Cut it kid, Its alright. Unless you really were trying to kill me you shouldn't be sorry."  
  
"Alright, but one more thing, please call me Dawn. I am really getting tired of that kid thing."  
  
Dante laughed quietly.   
  
"Alright Dawn, wanna sandwich?"  
  
Dawn nodded and Dante handed her his other half of his oversized sandwich. They both sat down at the kitchen table. Dawn had some trouble biting off from that monster sandwich.  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem with your big mouth huh?"  
  
"Well, I am a girl am I? Smaller things are more cute and ... "edible"!"  
  
"Say that to your sister..."  
  
They both laughed. Dawn was relieved. Dante did not care about that incident and they are understanding each other really well. There might be something that can happen. Well, Buffy will surely kill her for that... Dante is smiling. Oh god, this guy is just ...uh.... Dawn bit her tounge while trying to bite off the sandwich. 


	6. Note about the story

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Hi a little update on the story setting. I looked at the storyline of BtVS and I will set the setting on the last part of the 7th season or the final fight against the first. Of course with a little modification so that will suit the introduction of Dante into this whole mess. Thats all! Surprises may come along... 


	7. Shooting and digging

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 5: Shooting and digging  
  
Buffy took a deep breath. Tightly gripping the mini crossbow in her hands, she carefully aimed at the target 30 meters away: a crashdummy from some driver school nearby. She hit the target in the head. Finally, after emptying 2 clips ala 5 arrows already. Apart from that she almost used any firearm during this training. Her arm already ached like she had been doing more than 200 one-hand pushups. Dante clapped his hands behind her.   
  
"Well seems like you finally hit something!"  
  
"These things are useless! You just miss everything with it! Why the hell did you build these things anyways!"  
  
Buffy threw the mini-crossbow at him. Dante caught it and looked at its construction. Then he stepped foreward towards the range and shot the dummy. Headshot! He handed the weapon back to Buffy and returned to his seat.  
  
"Well seems nothing wrong with it. Comon you gotta be confident with every weapon you can find! You don't have time to think too long how to aim and use weapons. It must go like a click! Or is your cerebral cortex too weak for that job?"  
  
Buffy did not care anymore what he said. She took the hand axe from the table and threw it spinning at the dummy. The head was sliced in two upon impact of the axe. Buffy faced her trainer again.  
  
"Well, I think I'll stick to the old ways of killing!"  
  
Dante smiled. That girl got some guts ... and skills. But she still needed some work. And he had an idea how to prove it. He removed Ivory from its holster and handed it to her.  
  
"Aim at me!"  
  
Buffy was confused what the hell he wanted to show but she did what he told her. Dante started his small lesson.  
  
"Think you can shoot me?"  
  
"Gladly!"  
  
"Then do it!"  
  
"What the hell are you doing?"  
  
"What's the matter? Now chicken out?"  
  
"Give me one very good reason why to shoot you!"  
  
"I thought you have many!"  
  
"That is true but this is..."  
  
Buffy could not finish the sentence. Neither could she pull the trigger fast enough. With a quick hand grip Dante removed the slide from the gun rendering it completely useless. Buffy was stunned. It was to fast for her to even notice that the slide was gone. Dante returned to his lesson.  
  
"That is one reason why I wanted you to get to know weapons of any kind! Knowing the basic functions and how they work can help to avoid any battle."  
  
Dante took his gun back.  
  
"And by the way, you forgot the safety too..."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Man, there is nothing in this trash!"  
  
"Hey, stop complaining Xander. There is always something..."  
  
Dawn, Xander and Willow were digging around in almost any medium to find something about Dante. But there was nothing on this guy. Just some bits and pieces about his occupation, an address nothing more. The door opened and Anya stepped in with some pizza and coke.   
  
"Thought you might be hungry since you are burying around in some guys past like the worms..."  
  
"Oh, thanks Anya." Willow closed her laptop. "Guys think we earned a little break."  
  
Everyone agreed and sat down at the table to enjoy the food. Dawn and Xander yawned. They were tired already from the search. Almost five days have gone since they started and they found info mainly about the word Sparda.   
  
"So what have you got?"  
  
Anya brought some glasses from the kitchen and filled them with coke.  
  
"Only the Sparda story..."  
  
Dawn continued.  
  
"A devil knight who had escaped from hell and fought a devil emperor. He supposedly died in the human world protecting it against demons. Books call him the Legendary Dark Knight."  
  
Anya took a slice of pepperoni pizza and chewed it hungrily while she talked about Sparda.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Did a lot of these things supposedly alone. Very strong demon if he actually defeated a devil emperor alone."  
  
Dawn, Xander and Willow stared at her.  
  
"So you let us sit here and rott while you were enjoying life outside?"  
  
Anya nodded her head with a grin.  
  
"Yeah seeing people suffer makes me happy. But these are just rumors that I heard. I can't be 100% sure. Well I know now that they are."  
  
"Well, nice going!" Xander was pissed enough already. Since the breakup with Anya, she bacame more of an annoyance than a friend. Well, it was partly cause of himself since he chickend out at their wedding. Enough of that! He reached for a pizza slice. Willow was worried about their info gathering process.  
  
"Well what should we tell Buffy now?"  
  
"That we know nothing more than about Sparda?"   
  
Dawn zipped on her coke uninterested by her sister's reaction to their work. She is just focused on her sister's trainer. What does he actually like apart from guns....?   
  
"Well we could make it sound interesting, can we?"  
  
"I think Buffy would just accept it like always... oh and OK..."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The wind blew soft and silently through the streets of Sunnydale. Owls were singing their songs of the night and the lights of the houses were disappearing with every minute passing by. The living were going to rest from the day. It was a clear, silent night as usual. Well, if we would have taken out the graveyard it would have been a clear, silent night as usual. Because on there, hell broke loose. Inside the dust and the loud noise, Dante, Spike and Buffy were all busy killing vampires. Dante was shooting wildly, Spike had 3 vamps to deal with and Buffy was staking like mad. It wasn't enough though cause a group of zombies dropped by too for the bloodlust.   
  
"This is better than the boxer rebellion!"  
  
Spike was overwhelmed with the joy of battle. He hasn't seen so many enemies at one spot yet. Buffy and Dante had other worries though. Dante now switched for his Sparda to deal with the masses of enemies incoming. Buffy instead got surrounded by hungry vamps and zombies. Dante noticed the situation of his student.  
  
"Get down!" he screamed at Buffy and threw the Sparda like a boomerang at the circle. Buffy held her hands over her head only watching the spin of the sword and listening to the metal piercing into flesh. After it was all over she saw a hand reaching for her.  
  
"I wonder how many tricks you still have with that thing." she said while grapping Dante's hand.  
  
"Too many I guess... You have improved I am glad that it turned out that way. Though you still need work on fights with masses."  
  
Buffy replied back with the usual "yeah, yeah, sucker" line. She walked over to Spike, who was removing all the dust from his coat.   
  
"You OK?"  
  
"Never been better, sweety..."  
  
"You know you lines never work."  
  
"I know..."  
  
They wrapped up the talk and rejoined with Dante, who was reloading his guns.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dante sat again on his place nearby Buffy's window on the roof, cleaning his twin handguns. It has been some time now since he joined the group. He also knew that they did not trust him yet as a member cause he overheard them talking about him and their research. All they could find about was Sparda, his father... Dad. seems like more than 2000 years ago when he left for the spiritual world. The same goes for Eva and Vergil, his mother and brother whom he lost to that big-mouth Mundus. He watched the stars shimmering on the clear sky.   
  
"Folks, I hope I am doing the right thing... right too..."  
  
Unknown to Dante was the shadowly figure who watched from a tree branch nearby. He spied on him since Dante arrived in Sunnydale, his fights, his training with the slayer, almost everything. Apart from the toilet jobs of course! Well anyways, the shadow had seen enough. Soon he would meet him in person, for a small trip back to history. But for now, he'll let it be. He jumped off the tree and disappeared into the dark night. 


	8. To die or not to die, Part 1

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 6: To die or not to die, Part 1  
  
Buffy sat on her new desk the first time. Finally, work!!! It was first time she felt happy about it. No more thinking about demon slaying, black magic and what so ever. And the best is no more Dante till weekends! They both agreed to suspend their training for a while. It was hard enough to even convince Dante that there was still life apart from the killing. Oh well. He was quite the nutshell.  
  
"Anyways, lets go councelling!!!"  
  
She eagerly awaited her first case in her first normal job.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dante was bored. Ever since Buffy decided that they could rest for a while from the whole training stuff, he only hung somewhere around the Summer's home watching TV or reading the paper. Xander and Willow were at Tara's grave, whoever she was. Anya went shopping for a woman's sake, Spike slept, and the Summers were at school. He could go training by himself but without a partner... Well it was only the first day. Why the hell would he try to make himself crazy for just one day? While still in thought of what to do next, Dawn appeared in the living room. She threw her bag on the floor and crashed herself on the nearest couch.   
  
"Guess you had a great day, huh?"  
  
Dante looked back at her.   
  
"Probably same as you."  
  
"I would give anything for a free day!"  
  
Dawn leaned her head backwards. School was some sort of hell. Not to forget that it is built upon the gate to hell, hellmouth. What a drag. To sit and listen in a building while you could be attacked by almost anything... There should be a better word for that than hell. Right now she needed something cool and refreshing.... like.... ice-cream! She jumped up from the couch. Dante was surprised by the pumped girl.  
  
"Wowowowo, now full of energy? You sure that you did not get into some black magic?"  
  
"Not yet. I am going to get some ice-cream."  
  
Before she could exit the door, she remembered that it was Dante who was sitting there. Oh boy.... She backtracked a bit and faced Dante once again.  
  
"Well, huh... You want to join me?"  
  
"Sure, why not. Don't want to rott in this place alone anyway."  
  
Did not want to be alone? Wow, I think I will get him soon. Oh man I am going nuts... Dawn brought her thoughts together and followed Dante to his harley.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Buffy slendered through the door looking for people she could talk to about her first day but all that she found was her own empty house. It was night already. Work at her former high school really took some energy and time. She called for people but the only answer she got was either singing birds or a barking dog from the neighborhood. She was surprised a bit cause normally Dawn would be answering now from her room or Spike would grunt from downstairs. Where could she be anyways. Oh, well why not have an empty house for her alone one time! She went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Back in the living room she made herself comfortable on her couch and switched on the TV for the news flash. The weather annoucement was about to start when she heard the sounds of a bike parking in front of her garage. She knew who was coming.  
  
"Man, for the first time I get an empty house and now I get this..."  
  
She set her eyes on the door only to see a laughing Dawn with full of shopping bags. Dawn stopped and stared at her sister.   
  
"Dawn what did I tell you about shopping?"  
  
"Well, I really need a new make over. And besides its the total stress killer!"  
  
"Well, thats true but do I really need to tell you again about our financial status?"  
  
Dawn was about to answer when Dante stepped through the door in a complete new outfit. A brown jeans jacket, stylish jeans and a black shirt underneath. Buffy held her breath. Damn, he was good look.... What the hell was I thinking? Where the hell did he get the money anyway?  
  
"What the hell happend to you?"  
  
"Ask that person over there," he pointed his finger at Dawn. "She is even worse than you when it comes to do-overs..."   
  
Dawn playfully slapped him on his arm. Buffy recollected her thoughts. She just hoped that Dawn invested in the looks of that idiot with their own money.  
  
"Dawn were you actually spending our money for him?"  
  
"Why not? He really needed more clothes than just the red."  
  
Buffy pulled Dawn over.  
  
"DAWN? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!"  
  
"Buffy, chill out! it was just a joke. He paid with his money of course. And even lend me some for my stuff."  
  
Dawn struggled herself free from her sisters grip. Buffy took a step backwards realizing her fault. She looked at Dawn again.  
  
"Oh well, still you need to control that ... thing...!" She looked over to Dante, still amazed a bit by his do-over. "And you... well... go do your business..."  
  
Dante smiled. Willow, Xander and Anya entered the house and Spike came out of his hole. They all stared at Dante again like in the beginning.  
  
"Wow man, nice do-over. Who did that?" Spike asked.  
  
"Slayer's sis. Can't say I hate it."  
  
"Yo you want a drink. I was about to go out."  
  
Dante nodded and they both rode off into the city on Dante's harley. Willow, Xander and Anya gathered in the living room while Dawn collected her stuff and escaped into her room. Buffy sat down on her couch and covered her face with her hands. Willow was worried.  
  
"You OK, Buffy?"  
  
Buffy rubbed her face with her hands.  
  
"Will, am I a bad person? I mean I totally misjudged both of them just now!"  
  
"Ah comon Buffy. You just had your first day at work. That was the same how I felt after I started at the construction site."  
  
Anya interrupted Xander.  
  
"Yeah and that is still how you feel ...."  
  
"ANYA..."  
  
Anya backed off with her comments. She stood up and took the groceries into the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah Buffy, don't kick yourself. I mean its just natural when you come back after you had the stress in school oh I mean work."  
  
Buffy lifted her face.  
  
"Yeah I think so."  
  
She immediatly switched the subject though to a more important one.  
  
"So Will, what do we know about our new tourist here."  
  
Willow stood up and walked to the shelf where she searched for the file she made specifically for Dante. She handed over the thin file to Buffy and powered up her Mac.  
  
"Well it's not much, basically its close to nothing."  
  
Xander continued.  
  
"All what we know is the word Sparda."  
  
Xander handed her a paper from the file. Buffy began to read.  
  
"I was the one who witnissed the war, a war that was ment destroy us all. Humanity was oblivious to the dangers that earth bore. But I have seen it all. All the evil that stormed out of the gates of hell and rushed through our lands like a plague. As a priest I prayed for God to forgive our sins. And he answered, with a messiah to save us all. I could still feel the light of his eyes. These red eyes... A devil who betrayed and rose against the forces of darkness alone. Sparda... I still remember how he fought on the battlefield. Strong, cold and ruthless, I expected no less from a spawn of hell. In one quick decisive battle, he eliminated the entire invasion. He then asked me to pray for his return. I would not believe it either that I was lending support to a devil, but he was our only hope for survival. He then dissapeared into the portal to end it once and for all. I did do what he asked me to do. When the moon reached his fullest shape, he returned to the human world. Victorious, but badly wounded. I believe God has given this creature his blessing to enter holy ground. I took him in and nursed him back to health. But then he suddenly left, saying that there were more trials to come. I have never seen him since his departure. But even if we won't cross paths again for the rest of my life, I will always address my prayers to the friend of the humans, because I know that he will protect us till the end. So hear me, Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, may our prayers protect you as you protected our hope and may his light shine and protect you as you protect his children from the dark..."  
  
Buffy stood up and walked to Willow.  
  
"Wow that was quite some story."  
  
"Yeah, I thought so too. Fred e-mailed me this when I asked her for help. She had to break into a secret library to get this. Greetings from Angel too."  
  
Buffy let out a quite sigh.   
  
"What else do we have on this guy?"  
  
"Well right now as you see there are just addresses and notes about him and how he helps people with mysterious problems. Quite difficult to get to that too even with hacking abilities."  
  
"Seems like he runs an organization like Angel."  
  
"Yeah.."  
  
Buffy handed the paper back to Xander who put it back into the file. She yawned and stretched her arms out.  
  
"Guys I think I have enough of this for now. Sleep calls, see you tommorrow."  
  
The rest all wished her goodnight and as soon as they heard her door close they all let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thank god, she did not ask for more!"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Back at her desk, Buffy zipped on her cup of coffee. She already had more cases coming and going like she was the best and free psychiatric in town. Sexual problems, love problems, gas problems Man, what a drag! Almost anything comes to her. Well at least the next one is normal. Homework problems. Its a girl who refused to make her homework for an unknown reason. Her teachers were already nuts about her. She supposed to be a smart kid, good grades and everything. But she lately thought that school work have no importance anymore. Anyways, she confronted her about it now.  
  
"So I see your grades are dropping because you refuse to work!"  
  
"Correct!"  
  
"Why, you should care cause you are a pretty smart girl."  
  
"Correct!"  
  
"So then why do you not care?"  
  
"Well I believe its kinda pointless."  
  
"Why is it so pointless?"  
  
"I like you shirt. Mexx?"  
  
"Oh yeah. One of my favorites..."  
  
Buffy drifted off abit but then got back to the real subject of this talk.  
  
"uh.. Don't change the subject now, Cassie. Why don't you want to graduate?"  
  
"Well, cause next Friday I am gonna die!" 


	9. Note 2

Yo,  
  
I would like to say that I AM going to continue to write but not now since I am rather busy with other important stuff like college. After the test about histology (people ITS NOT HISTORY!!!!!) and if I pass I will try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. Promise...  
  
Gunman_0 


	10. To die or not to die, Part 2

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 6: To die or not to die, Part 2  
  
"What?"  
  
Buffy was stoned. Well not that stoned caused by overdosis, but just stoned. Cassie seemed uninterested though.  
  
"Can we talk about something else?"  
  
Buffy got her mind together.  
  
"No, we have to talk about this."  
  
"Just... never mind."  
  
"Cassie, what makes you feel like this?"  
  
"Feel like what?"  
  
"Like you wanna hurt yourself."  
  
"Oh, I'm..." Cassie laughed. "I'm not gonna commit suicide if that's what you're saying. No way!"  
  
Buffy was confused. Thats one weird case she has gotten into.  
  
"OK then. Then what are you saying?"  
  
"Look, I don't mean to be a pain. You seem really nice, and I know you're just trying to help. But I'm wasting your time."  
  
Buffy's investigative mind took over. She tried to queeze everything possible from this girl. Not everyone could predict their own death and that she and some other person would try to safe her. Well, lets just take out the numerous cancer and heart attack cases, a normal healthy person with telepathic abilities? Well, it also could just be some trick just to mess her up but anything could be possible. Maybe dark magic or possesion or what ever. Well all that she could get more are just...  
  
"Coins, huh..."  
  
After Cassie left her office, Buffy grapped her notebook and went after two people, Principal Woods ... and Dawn.  
  
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The Summer's living room turned into a mess of pizza, coke and piles of files just about Cassie Newton. Willow sat in front of her laptop, browsing the internet for any related material, while Xander and Buffy were going through Cassie's school record. Buffy "borrowed" those of course. There was nothing of course. Her record was good apart from the last days of not so good grades and complaints from teachers about her behavior. The medical one did not add anything either apart from various infections she got in her life.   
  
"Hey, I got something"   
  
Willow pulled the interested faces of Buffy and Xander to her computer screen after she looked up her name in Google.com  
  
"It's her own website. Quite filled with cutie things."  
  
Xander rolled his eyes.  
  
"Of course... poems...Always a sign of pretentious inner turmoil. A great hobby for someone who wants to die to write some and post them in the web."  
  
Willow was reading one of them.  
  
"The sheets above me   
  
cool my skin   
  
like dirt   
  
on a mad woman's grave   
  
I rise into   
  
the moonlight white   
  
and watch   
  
the mirror stare   
  
Pale fish looks   
  
back at me   
  
Pale fish that will   
  
never swim  
  
My skin is milk   
  
for no man to drink   
  
My thighs unused   
  
unclenched   
  
This body is   
  
not ready yet   
  
But dirt waits for no   
  
woman   
  
and coins will   
  
buy no time   
  
I hear the chatter   
  
of the bugs. It's they alone   
  
will feast."  
  
"I hope none of you wrote that thing! I don't want to solve suicide cases!"  
  
Buffy knew that voice to well.  
  
"Shouldn't you suppose to rott here?"  
  
Dante smiled. He sure had done something to that girl. He just hoped that she did not inherit more of that trash talk of his. After having stared at his apprentice for a while, he retreated to the couch. Meanwhile, Dawn entered the house, threw her bag down and joined the group.   
  
"You guys are way off track. I got a hunch on this one."  
  
No one noticed her talking. They all stared at the screen which displayed some info about Cassie's father, Phillp Newton.  
  
"Her dad's a drunk?"  
  
Xander cut in.  
  
"A violent drunk?"  
  
"We'd better find out. I have his address right... here. Got your keys?"  
  
Dawn still tried to convince the three about her theory.  
  
"Guys, I'm telling you. I got this case cracked wide-open. I got the perp fingered. I told you 'bout Mike Helgenberg, right?"  
  
But no one listened to her anymore cause Buffy and Xander were gone.  
  
"What the hell! No one listens to me again..."  
  
Willow tried to calm her down.  
  
"Dawn, I think we try to take on the facts first. But we can still check on that Mike guy..."  
  
Willow's phone rings.  
  
"Ups, sorry Dawn, be right back."  
  
Dawn was upset. No one would listen to her. Absolutly no o... wait. She was looking at the man on the couch.  
  
"Amm, Dante. Could I ask you some..."  
  
"You wanna spy on the boy?"  
  
"Sort of..."  
  
Dante put the papers down and raised from the couch. Dawn's eyes brighten up. Finally someone she could depend on. Dante walked up to Dawn and looked at her. Dawn lost herself into his eyes. Wow... "I could do this forever..." And suddenly her view was blocked by some binoculars.  
  
"Good luck..."  
  
And Dante left the house.  
  
  
  
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The dark filled the school. Nothing than cleaned up desks, chairs and closed doors. Well apart from the library which was filled with candle light and seven people who were standing in a circle. They all wore red robes and chant some old spell. Coins and stacks of papers filled the circle. One red monk bend down and lit the paper with his candle. While the papers burned down, a small picture revealed itself. The note on the corner read: Cassie Newton, 2000.  
  
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Buffy and Xander returned from their trip to Mr. Newton. They both were tired and just needed some sleep after the confrontation with both father and daughter. Interrogating both of them brought them as far as close to nothing. No new info. Dawn and Willow were already in bed. Buffy wished good night to Xander as he was going to the world of dreams. Buffy though could not even try to sleep. Although she was wasted, she sat down on the couch and went through Cassie's files again. It was possible that she missed something. While going through the medical records again, Dante appeared on the door with a big heavy bag. Buffy greeted him as always.  
  
"I thought you got lost? And what are you carrying anyways?"  
  
"Needed to do some shopping. Market's good when it comes to weapons..."  
  
"Well you see we are on hellmouth you know..."  
  
Dante kicked off his boots and sat down at the table. He picked a file and looked through the data. Buffy was ticked of a bit.  
  
"Shouldn't you worry about your own business?"  
  
"I'm interested on the useless work you are doing."  
  
"....."  
  
Buffy got back to reading Cassie's medical file. There should be something they missed. There is always something. She could feel it. But after a couple of hours she had enough of the search. Buffy was reading everything the stuff all over again. She even nearly memorized Cassie's school record and life profile. That was enough. She stood up.  
  
"Well I think I should let it be for today."  
  
She was about to leave the room until Dante called her.  
  
"Slayer..."  
  
"What now. I really need some sleep..."  
  
"Be prepared to let it be...."  
  
Buffy did not know what to do with that. She just shook her head and went upstairs. Dante sighend. He could probably simulate the upcoming events.   
  
"Let the slayer see the things for herself..."  
  
Dante grapped the bag from the floor and opened it. 


	11. To die or not to die, Part 3

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 7: To die or not to die, Part 3  
  
9:00 AM. A day and time in school as usual. Buffy was kinda happy that this day is a friday. Wait, friday... oh no. She would be dealing with Dante again on the weekends... Damn... Today was locker inspection. Woods, a security guard and the housekeeper would go through every locker to check if there were not any illigal things in there. Buffy was having a conversation with Mike when she heard a bag full of coins falling on the floor.  
  
"Seems like someone's got quite a coin collection!"  
  
Buffy picked a coin up and looked at the locker number.  
  
"I am checking him out, 218."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A boy was already in the office as Buffy entered the room. She greeted him and made herself comfortable on her own chair. This is going to be some interrogation.  
  
"You wanted to see me?"  
  
"You have locker number 281?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
Buffy held out the coin in front of him and asked about the connection with Cassie Newton. The boy was frightend and tried the classic excuse with the bus leaving. Buffy reminded him that the bus would not leave in another half an hour.   
  
"Look boy I am here to help. I'm a counselor here because I wanna help. I know what it's like to walk these halls and feel lost, alone. I just want to make things better, connect. And I'm going to connect with your face if you don't stop wasting my time and help me do my job."  
  
"I... please, I"  
  
"A girl could die."  
  
"I guess I know who you're talking about. She's some weirdo suicidal poet girl. These guys I know wanna mess with her. They've got this plan..."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dawn was chatting with Cassie as they walked out of the school doors. She tried to convince her to let Buffy help her. However, Cassie always told her the same thing all over again, indirectly. Dawn wanted to refine her soft-talking strategy when a guy interrupted her.  
  
"Uh, what's up, Peter?"  
  
"I was just wondering if anyone had asked you to winter formal."  
  
"What?  
  
Dawn blushed.  
  
"Oh, uh, no. not exactly."  
  
Cool, she was about to get the first invitation from a guy to a ball. How exciting untill...  
  
"Well, uh, I was just doing a poll. I'll see you."  
  
That ruined all of it. If she had had a knife, she would have stabbed him to death by now. Dawn turned back to where Cassie was standing...  
  
"That guy is such an ass."   
  
...just to notice that she was gone. Great! She walked around looking for her when she heard her name from a familiar voice.  
  
"Dante, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Your sis called... told me to pick you up and to take you somewhere stress-relieving..."  
  
"Since when did she trust you?"  
  
"Since I was the only one in the house and the only one who picked up the phone. Man, sounded kinda angry..."  
  
"Well thats typical her, OK then lets go..."  
  
Dante and Dawn walked to the harley. While Dawn summarized her last day of the week at school, Dante noticed three shadows dissappearing in the bushes with a cargo on one's back...   
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"All present?"  
  
"All present."  
  
Peter goes to light a nearby torch with his candle. He pushes his hood back. It was night again in Sunnydale. The same people were standing in the library again like the last night they burned the coins and papers.  
  
"Then we begin."  
  
"It's just so cool, I mean— We're gonna be rich!"  
  
The hooded men were circling around. One of them praised himself about the booby trap he set around the fire exits in the school. They were laughing evilishly. Peter, the main man, pulled up a chair with Cassie on it, tied to everything there is to tie. She was whimpering through the duct tape on her mouth.  
  
"This is our sacrifice. It's nothing personal. It's just that you have this death-kick suicidal vibe going. I figure if you disappear, everybody'll just assume you threw yourself in a river somewhere. Extinguish!"  
  
All the robed people holding candles lick their fingers and press them to the candlewick to extinguish the flames. Peter picked up a large cleaver and began to summon.  
  
"All mighty Avilas... please accept our sacrifice. Please appear before us, oh mighty soldier of the dark. Please appear before us, and grant us with infinite riches, and we will pay you with our sacrifice. We kneel before you with the gift of flesh."  
  
One of the robed people stands and unfastens the robe, revealing her identity as Buffy. Everyone was suprised, especially the one who set up the bobby traps.  
  
"OK, that is going on your permanent record."  
  
"Wait, this is the counselor! What the hell is she doing here?"  
  
Buffy and Peter start to circle each other. Peter is still holding the cleaver. He swung the cleaver at her but Buffy easily avoided it and kicked him in the face. He spinned in the air before he landed on his butt.  
  
"Do you know how lame this is? Bored teenage boys trying to raise up a demon. Sorry it didn't show. I bet it's 'cause you forgot the boom box playing some heavy metal thing, like Blue Clam Cult. I think that's the key to the raising of lame demons."  
  
Peter pointed at Buffy's back.  
  
"You mean that lame demon?"  
  
Buffy turned around to face the bull-type Avilas. A six-feet tall muscular, horned demon with fins on its shoulders. Buffy stood there, raising an eye brow.  
  
"Damn Horny, you are one ugly thing."  
  
The demon launched at Buffy. Buffy avoided it easily and threw the cleaver at it. The weapon buried itself into the flesh but it did not matter. Meanwhile Peter was running to Cassie. "Damn" Buffy thought. She could not let Peter go even near her. While she followed Peter, Avilas swung his arm and hit Buffy on her side. She flew into a bookcase buring her. As soon as she freed herself from the books the demon stepped on her holding her down. Peter and the other cult members were grinning as he held Cassie's head. Peter was about to snap it when a hand touched his shoulder.  
  
"Guess I was almost late!"  
  
A punch threw Peter away and soon the other cult members followed. Buffy could hardly recognized the figure but she knew.  
  
"Spike?"  
  
Spike smiled at Buffy  
  
"Here to help. No hurting the girl. You OK under the weight?"  
  
Avilas turned around to face his new enemy, letting go of Buffy. Spike kick somersaulted away from the demon taking the cleaver with him. Both demons fought furiously, while Buffy was still recovering. Cassie, almost out of the picture by now, watched as the two warriors duked it out with the demon. Avilas gained the upper hand as he punched Spike away and grabbed Buffy by her throat squeezing her. Buffy was about to loose conciousness when another man appeared behind Avilas.  
  
"Hey, look at this!"  
  
The demon turned around to face a double-barreled saw-off shotgun.   
  
"Lights out!"  
  
Dante pulled the trigger and the shells ripped through the demon's eyes effectively blinding him. The demon let go of Buffy and put his hands on his bloody face while roaring in pain. Buffy looked up at Dante as he reloaded the shotgun.  
  
"Guess two weren't enough for the party. Good that I was on time. Damn, idiot forgot to rig the booby traps. Slayer, take care of the girl, I deal with this thing here."  
  
Buffy nodded. She wrapped herself up and went to Cassie. Dante meanwhile shot another load of lead into demon flesh and stingered him back with his Sparda to the wall where the cult members lied. Spike stood up and looked at the mess in the library.   
  
"Yo Dante, nice going here."  
  
Dante waved back at Spike, while reloading his shotgun again and aimed at the lying demon. A bloodsoaked Peter crawled to the demon and shook it.  
  
"You can't be dead. Where are my infinite riches?"  
  
The demon suddenly jumped up and bit Peter on the shoulder. Peter cried out in pain. Dante launched at it again with the Sparda, cutting the head of the demon by stingering its neck. Peter fell back with the head still stuck on his shoulder. Spike, Dante and Buffy walked up to Peter.  
  
"Please, help me... I am bleeding."  
  
"Sorry. My office hours are 10 to 4."  
  
With that Buffy left Peter to die. She walked up to Cassie, who was sitting on the corner.  
  
"It's all OK now. I hope you're not too disappointed."  
  
Cassie smiled weakly. Buffy looked back at the bodies of the cult members and the demon.  
  
"See? You can make a difference."  
  
Cassie reached up admiringly to push a strand of hair out of Buffy's face.  
  
"And you will."   
  
And with that Cassie collapsed onto the floor.   
  
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Nobody expected the tragic outcome of the events at the library. Nobody actually knew the heart irregularities that Cassie Newton inherited from her family members. Buffy, Spike and Dante tried to revive her with CPR but it was no use. 10 minutes heart failure was a secure dead for sure. (she would be brain dead even if her heart would beat again cause of the oxygen loss) Anyways Cassie Newton was dead and they could do nothing about it. It was like when she said that to Buffy on their first meeting. Her death was destined. The gang was quiet in the Summer's house. Buffy was quietly blaming herself for the loss of a student she should have saved and Dawn was crying because of the loss of a friend. Spike dissapeared after the battle, leaving Buffy and Dante to clean up the whole mess. Fortunatly Willow could help a bit with her spells. Buffy could not stand any longer in her own home. She had enough of the Cassie case. She needed some fresh air. Exiting her home, she found Dante sitting on the stairs.   
  
"Had enough of the crying?"  
  
"You heard?"  
  
Buffy was sitting down besides Dante.  
  
"Yeah, your sis can go off sometimes."  
  
Buffy was quiet. She let the wind carry the oxygen into her lungs. The sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly over the silent town of Sunnydale.  
  
"I hope you learned something from it... Sometimes fate always has its marks somewhere. All we can do is accept it. Let it be, Slayer"  
  
"So what then. Are you telling me just to let it "be"? To let go of everything I have been fighting for?"  
  
"You can't save everyone, Slayer. But at least you are giving them the hope to fight for."  
  
"Then I think I am giving them the wrong hope..."  
  
"Hope is never wrong..."  
  
Dante stood up and stretched himself.  
  
"Wanna go dust some vamps?"  
  
"I think I'll need it..." 


	12. The Jacket, Part 1

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 9: The jacket, Part 1  
  
[Present, Night]  
  
"Ugh!"  
  
Dante grunted as the slayer threw him on the floor. He tried to get up but the slayer jumped right on him, effectivly blocking his move.   
  
"Now you won't get away from me, you devil!"  
  
Dante was stunned. Whatever he had thought about the character of his trainee, he never knew that she would go that far. She striked him with the aggressive look of her eyes. It seemed that her immediate will or wants superseeded her amibitions and dreams or anything she planned for the future. All she wanted now was his flesh.   
  
"Now is the part where the real fun comes!"  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
[3 Days ago, Midnight]  
  
"Damn it keeps getting better every day!"  
  
Dante was busy with a horde of vamps, while Buffy and Spike fought another group 20 meters away. Dawn was watching from afar. The trio weren't even aware of her presence. She kept her eyes on Dante who was swinging his sword at the enemy. He did it with such skill and elegance that Dawn could not kept her mouth shut. She began to daydream....  
  
"Help! Help me!"  
  
Dawn was bound to a tree. In front of her, a huge dragon which was just after beautiful virgins. Its mouth came so near that she could smell the bad breath. It stank of bad meat. When she opened her eyes, she almost vomited. She saw partly broken skeletons between its teeth. She shut her eyes tight and cried her heart out.  
  
"Did my ears hear the voice of a woman in danger?"  
  
The dragon turned around to face the new figure in the scene. Dawn opened her eyes and saw an armored knight on a horse with a big sword on his back. His visor was still up so Dawn could see the face with some strands of white hair peeking from the helmet. Could it be....  
  
"No worries my princess! I will free you from the clutches of this beast!"  
  
Dawn was confused.  
  
"Princess, what the hell are you talk... Oh.... nice..."  
  
Dawn noticed what she was wearing. A clean white dress dating early 16th century.   
  
"Well, whatever..." Dawn whispered to herself. "Yes, my hero. Save me!"  
  
The knight shut his visor, drew his sword and charged on the dragon. The dragon let out a war cry and launched a fireball at the knight. Dawn couldn't look. She thought that that was it. All that she heard was a slash and a cry from the dragon. Then there was silence. She opened her eyes again only to see a headless dragon in front of her. The knight appeared behind the body and walked to Dawn. He cut down her ropes and Dawn fell into his arms immediatly. Loosening her embrace a bit, she put her hands on the helmet and pulled it up only to reveal the face of Dante!  
  
"My hero!"  
  
"You are save now my princess!"  
  
They both locked their eyes for a while. Then they both came closer and closer. Dawn closed her eyes and waited for a moment she had always dreamt off. Dante said her name, again and again and again and every time louder, louder and louder. Dawn suddenly smelled blood and dust. Out of curiosity she opened her eyes to see the normal Dante, who was holding her.  
  
"Dammit, Dawn what the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Ummm, what?"  
  
Dante turned around and kicked a vamp away from them. Then he faced Dawn again.   
  
"You should be thankful that your sister didn't see ya! OK, you wanna help? So go get some ammo from my bike! And take that with ya!"  
  
Dawn nooded. While Dante gave her cover, Dawn ran like a drunkard. She was still angry that her little dream ended so abruptly. She reached the bike, which was parked on the corner of the cemetary entry, and did what Dante requested her to do, though it took her a bit long to find the handgun magazines.   
  
"Shit I will be late!"  
  
Dawn hurried back and left Dante's jeans jacket (she picked it for him) back on the bike.  
  
A little while later, some boys came around and saw the ownerless bounty.   
  
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[2 days ago, morning]  
  
"I can't believe that Dante is whining over some jacket!"  
  
"Ummm yes..."  
  
Dawn did not want to add anything to that topic. They were both sitting on the bench in the school's football stadium watching the guys crashing into eachother. But that was not their main interest.  
  
"Buffy, you love him?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"You know!"  
  
Buffy took off her sunglasses.  
  
"No, I just... I don't know what I'm feeling. I think I can't stand him, but sometimes... I feel for him"  
  
"Feel what exactly?"  
  
"Dawn..."  
  
"No, I'm—I'm just trying to understand. I mean, none of it makes sense. First you say Spike disgusts you, but secretly you two are doing it like bunnies. And then Spike says he'd die for you, but he tries to rape you."  
  
Buffy listened to her sister's lecture but let the words fly by. She then stood up and left abruptly leaving Dawn back on the bench. Dawn was still babbling untill she spots the quaterback wearing a jacket.  
  
"Hey this is Da...."  
  
She was mesmerized as the quarterback drank from a squirt bottle and then doused his face with water from the bottle and walked off.  
  
"Wow..."  
  
Then she fell from the bench.  
  
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[2 days ago, midday]  
  
The bell rang and the storm began, a storm of hundreds of children escaping the classroom. Under them was still-dreaming-Dawn walking around. Her mind was just focused on the quarterback she spotted on the field that morning. When she looked up, she met him again, circled by some girls.  
  
"Probably cheerleaders... Great..."  
  
Dawn walked up to the circle.  
  
"Hey, R.J."  
  
The quarterback turned around.  
  
"Hey, Summers."  
  
"Ok, Dawn... Start a conversation, start, start..."  
  
While she was thinking what to talk about, the girls tightend the circle literary pushing her out. They were chatting again about their cheerleading team and the search for new recruits. Dawn again had to interrupt them to get R.J.'s attention.  
  
"Um, so I-I-I was wondering. You had Mr. Gurin for English back at your old school, right?"  
  
R.J. faced Dawn again.  
  
"We all did."  
  
"I have him this year. What a drag..."  
  
"I actually kinda liked him."  
  
"Damn," Dawn thought. "Wrong sentence... Change it, change it, change it...."  
  
"Right! Right. No, no, I like him. It's just, you know, I meant drag in a good, fun way."   
  
The others cut her off again. Despite the fact that these people were actively ignoring her, Dawn persisted. She really wanted him to notice her soo bad.   
  
"Hey, um, so, you know, I heard someone saying yesterday that we're gonna go all the way to the championships this year. In football."  
  
"Yeah, we actually have a good shot, considering we're a new team."  
  
R.J.'s buddy and team mate cut in.  
  
"Yeah, well if you can get us past Highland, we've got a good shot."  
  
"Oh, like you could do better."  
  
"We'll see."   
  
"Wait, you actually think Coach'd start you at quarterback over me?"  
  
"I'm just saying..."  
  
That was enough for Dawn. She had to burst this out now..  
  
"The quarterback is like the most important member of the team. He is like the rudder that guides the ship."  
  
R.J. gave her a quiet nod. Then he helped his fans of cheerleaders carry some books and walked off without saying anything to Dawn. Then suddenly someone else grabbed her by the arm. It was one of the cheerleaders.  
  
"I know we do not know each other so much but can you tell me something?"  
  
"...OK..."  
  
"When does your Uncle pick you up again?"  
  
"Uncle??...."  
  
Then she remembered.  
  
"Oh you mean him? Well probably today when he is not busy?"  
  
"OK then, thanks sweetheart. And if you want to join R.J., although I know you can not, try the try-outs tommorrow, so we can all have a laugh."  
  
Then she ran after the group giggling by herself. Dawn let go a sigh. She thought off her feelings with her Uncle Dante...   
  
"Ah screw that Dante. I think I have found my real boy."  
  
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[2 days ago, Night]  
  
Down in the basement of the Summer's house, Dawn was going through boxes of some old stuff of her sister. Buffy, Dante and Spike were hunting the demons who were recently in Anya's apartment, leaving her almost alone again. That almost was in form of a sleeping Giles, again. Anyways after a while her eyes widened after she found the object of her search.   
  
"Try-outs here I come." 


	13. The Jacket, Part 2

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 9: The jacket, Part 2  
  
[Present, Night]  
  
"Hey Slayer, go easy..."  
  
Dante was able to escape from Buffy's floor lock. He backrolled and stood up while the slayer was preparing to charge at him again. Her look did not change. She was still after his flesh.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you anyway?"  
  
Buffy gave him a questioning look.  
  
"Wrong with me? Maybe I should ask you the same question."  
  
She charged at Dante. Though blessed or cursed with demonic powers, one: he could not show her that, two: she was way stronger and smarter than before and three: he was under the influence of some certain substance. Maybe he taught her too much because she used the same move that Dante used in the beginning. They both fell backwards on Buffy's bed. Dante grunted again although this time the landing was softer. Buffy sat on Dante and locked his limbs with her own to prevent another foul try to escape.  
  
"Now the fun can start."  
  
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[Yesterday, Afternoon]  
  
"GO GO RAZORBACKS YEAH..."  
  
The girl finished with a cartwheel and back somersault. The crowd applauded, whistled and screamed at her performance. Well not to mention she was an athlete. Anyways the try-outs had begun. The football teams came to look at the treasure, which were the dozens of girls were waiting for their turn. Among them was Dawn who was in her sisters outfit.   
  
"OK, that was good. Alright next: Dawn Summers!"  
  
Dawn held her breath. She did not feel such excitement since.. well since when? Well it did not matter. The main point is to impress R.J. the quarterback. She walked into the center and got ready while quickly glimsing at R.J. who was among the crowd sitting with the girl who asked her about her Uncle Dante.   
  
"Look at that R.J.," she whispered "Now we can have a good laugh."  
  
He smiled back at Dawn.  
  
"Wow..."  
  
She has to concentrate on the try-out now, but thinking of him was just so tempting. She started her cheer.  
  
"Razorbacks, Razorbacks, we're gonna play, we've got a secret weapon and his name is RJ! So hear us cheer, hear us yell, listen what we say, Razorbacks, Razorbacks, Goooooo... RJ!"  
  
Then she fell on her butt. The first ones already laughed. She stood up again and continued.  
  
"RJ GOOOO!"  
  
She tried a cartwheel but failed miserably. The judges were already shaking their heads. Once she finished, the whole crowd were already laughing at her.  
  
"Didn't I tell you? That thing was funnier than the Jerry Springer show!"  
  
Dawn had enough. She stormed out of the gym.  
  
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[Yesterday, Night]  
  
"Dawn, Dawn..."  
  
Buffy was still banging at the bathroom door. Dawn was in there since she came back from school and cried her heart out. Buffy did not notice that she was in there until she had to go. She had stopped crying now but she was still sobbing.  
  
"Come on, Dawnie. Come out. Dawn, sweetheart, it's not that bad."  
  
Dawn ripped the door open.  
  
"How would you even know? R.J.'s never gonna notice me now."  
  
Buffy was surprised. She would never developed feelings that fast for a boy. Well maybe actually.  
  
"From what you said, I'm sure he already noticed you, I mean with the falling and the— spirit. Spirit. They said you were spirited, right?"  
  
Dawn, obviously irritated by her sister, stormed past her and into her room. Xander came upstairs to check the situation  
  
"Things are a lot better, I see."  
  
"Yeah used to be Xand."  
  
"Right, with the wailing and the crying... Still better than a cozy evening with Spike and Dante. Shall I order a pizza? Don't teens in a snit like pizza?"  
  
Dawn came out of her room angrily  
  
"It is not a snit! I-I finally met him—the guy of my dreams, OK—and I blew it. R.J. hates me now."  
  
Then she shut the door again.  
  
"The guy of my dreams, huh?"  
  
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[Yesterday, Night]  
  
"Nice place you got here."  
  
Dante walked around Spike's basement. There wasn't much in there. A coffin, some chains, torching toys and some other medival stuff. Spike moved some boxes around.  
  
"Thanks. Don't know how to survive here though with that idiot."  
  
"Should not be a problem though I think. Well the last thing you could do is sire him and make him your puppet."  
  
Dante picked up a steel chain and swung around a bit.  
  
"Hey, one time you should teach me that so I can beat the crap out of you for touching my stuff."  
  
Dante laughed.  
  
"Well, anyways tell me why did you got your soul back."  
  
Spike turned around and gave him its-not-one-of-your-business look. Dante nooded. But he probably knew the answer though.  
  
"Alright, I am gonna pick up the slayer to go hunting wanna join?"  
  
"Nah, think I'm prepping this room for a while to keep it out of unwanted guest."  
  
Dante prepared to leave the room until he had some words for him.  
  
"Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart."  
  
Then he left the room. Spike put a box down and thought about Dante's words. He could not stop thinking about her.  
  
"Ah what the bloody hell..."  
  
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[Yesterday, Night]  
  
Buffy unlocked her sister's room and entered with Xander, carrying what was her cheerleading outfit. Dawn was lying on her bed listening to the saddest love songs ever written in the United States. Backstreet Boys, N'Sync probably almost all the collection of boy bands.  
  
"You shredded my outfit!"  
  
Dawn replied monotonic without looking at Buffy  
  
"I'll buy you a new one."  
  
"That's not the point! I don't want a new cheerleading outfit!"  
  
Buffy handed the shredded outfit to Xander, who stood by the doorframe. She sat down on Dawn's bed.  
  
"Dawn, I'm sorry that you feel so bad. OK, but in the morning this won't seem so terrible. You don't even know this R.J. Not really."  
  
Dawn sat up angrily.  
  
"I do know him. I know his soul."  
  
"Really? Dawn, he wasn't even on your radar yesterday."  
  
"I actually thought that I was on her radar all the time."  
  
Xander almost got a heart attack when he heard Dante's voice right beside him. The demon hunter crossed his arms and leaned with his back on the other doorframe. Buffy turned around.  
  
"Dante, this is really not a good time right now. And besides you is NOT on her radar ever. So go get lost and find your jacket!"  
  
Dante shrugged.  
  
"Are you always on the edge to explode when I enter the scene?"  
  
Buffy did not hear the last comment. She turned her attention back to Dawn.  
  
"Again, since yesterday. Dawn, it's awfully fast."  
  
"What? You're telling me I don't feel what I feel? It isn't a crush. It's love. I love R.J."  
  
"No, of course not. I believe that you think it's real. It seems real... to you."  
  
"You know what? Maybe I don't want advice from the Dysfunction Queen. You have no idea how I feel. You have no idea what real love is. Maybe if you did, you wouldn't make fun of me this way."  
  
"Dawn, I'm not making fun of you."  
  
"Just go. Leave me alone."  
  
Buffy stood up with an "OK". She pushed the guys out with her.   
  
"Guess we just leave her alone now."  
  
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[Today, Morning]  
  
Another normal school day. Well except for one person. Dawn walked out of the principal's office. She had been called after she pushed a footballer down the stairs because of something he said about R.J.. That resulted in a broken right arm and a suspension of him from the next 4 football games. It would almost be that she was in luck though because she had pushed one of the biggest fattest liars in the school. Though she was happy when she got out of the room because Buffy was standing right there with her. Anyways, she walked back to her locker to drop some books when a voice caught her attention.  
  
"Hey Summers!"  
  
Dawn turned around to face, tadaa..., her most loved quarterback in town, R.J.. Her heart ignited again.  
  
"Hi"  
  
"I heard Wood hauled you into his office."  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
"About O'Donnell?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That sucks, facing the whole inquisition thing."  
  
"Yeah. "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition."  
  
"No. It was. I think it's cool that you faced him. Wood."  
  
"Oh my god, He thinks that is cool." Dawn breathed out heavily so she had enough oxygen to continue the conversation uninterrupted.  
  
"We just talked. He just wanted me to tell him about... the accident."  
  
"Yeah. It sucks when these things just happen—out of nowhere."  
  
"Right. Out of nowhere."  
  
"You know, I was thinking of heading out tonight, after practice. You want to meet up?"  
  
Guess what the answer was.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
[Today, Night]  
  
Another room full of overdrugged with hormones teenagers. This time there were coloured flashlights, rock music and enough ethanol to get the whole population drunk. In this mess of men and drinks were Xander, Willow and Buffy taking their fustration out at the alcohol. Xander was complaining about his new roommate, when they spot the hotshot quarterback from the school. Buffy pointed her finder at the man with the jacket.  
  
"The one who, according to Dawn, is the quote smartest, funniest, coolest, hottest, and having the thickest boy eyelashes boy in school unquote."  
  
"He don't seem so tough."  
  
Willow noticed someone else.  
  
"Check out the fan club."  
  
There was a girl, very sexily dressed, who was getting it on with R.J.. She wore tight jeans with am almost transparent blouse. Her hair was loose and curled up.   
  
"What is that shirt made of? Paint?"  
  
"Buff..."  
  
It seemed like that Willow was the only one who would recognize that person with her back faced on them. Buffy continued to let out her frustration.   
  
"Glad Dawnie isn't here to see her precious boyfriend getting all thrusty with some slut-bag hussy..."  
  
She almost shocked when the "slut-bag hussy" turned around to reveal.... Dawn. She was having fun alright. The three only stood there with their mouths wide open. Xander was almost begging that this was not true. He had some thoughts, the thoughts that man have almost every 7 seconds they are awake.  
  
Buffy still stared the couple in disbelief and so did Willow. When the two split up, one for the ladies bathroom and the other for the bar, Buffy walked after Dawn to the bathroom. Xander and Willow continued to stand there stoned as Dante and Spike come into the club.   
  
"Wow that is some party going on here."  
  
Dante looked at the beauties who where all dancing around them.   
  
"Think they find us most sexy cause of our hair."  
  
Spike shook the two stoned people awake.   
  
"Hey there. Where's Buff? And what the bloody hell are you to staring at?"  
  
"Buff's after Dawn, and we're looking at Dawn's date."  
  
Dante spotted the quarterback until he noticed the thing that he was wearing. His face turned red.  
  
"Hey, that bitch's got my jacket!"  
  
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[Today, Night bathroom]  
  
The bathrooms were as usual. Full! Full till the end of time. Dawn was standing in line as she heard the first "Hey don't push me" or "Hey stand in the line". She did not make anything of it until that person grabbed her and pulled her to a more open space. She was surprised and shocked who that was.  
  
"So, do you have plans later, or are you just gonna go down to the docks and wait for the fleet to come in?"  
  
"What? And what are you doing here?"  
  
"Where do I start with the bad? First, you told me you were going to the library. Second, you do not go out on a date without informing me first. Third, Anna Nicole Smith makes you look tacky."  
  
"Yeah, well I think I look hot, and so does R.J."  
  
"Oh, I bet he does. Maybe I should go have a little word with him."  
  
She started to walk away until Dawn held her back.  
  
"No! Don't you dare embarrass me in front of him."  
  
"I don't like this. This boy has you acting crazy."  
  
"It's my life. I'll do what I want to."  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Oh. So, what—suddenly you're Mom now?"  
  
"No, I'm not. And I am glad she's not here to see you like this."  
  
Dawn looked at her sternly. Buffy knew she had said something beyond the red line.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I just..."  
  
"You just can't handle it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You've always been the special one. Hot little Buffy with her boyfriends. The Slayer. And now someone likes me, and you just can't stand that I'm getting the attention."  
  
"That is the farthest thing from true."  
  
Dawn did not take notice from that last thing Buffy said. She walked back into the club looking for her precious R.J. Buffy covered her face with her hands.   
  
"Man, teenage years..."  
  
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[Today, Night alley outside the bar]  
  
"Hey don't push me like that, you freak!"  
  
R.J. tried to break loose from the hold. Dante pulled him into a small alley where he could make sure that nobody was there. He then pushed R.J. on the ground. R.J. stood up again and gave him the "what-ya-want" rapper style move. Dante stayed unimpressed.  
  
"OK boy hand that jacket over and we all can have a good day."  
  
"What the hell do you think you are man?"  
  
Dante had enough of this typical american teen. He pulled out his gun. R.J. started to get nervous. He tried to stay calm and cool though like the hard boys in the movies.  
  
"Oh now you want to shoot me."  
  
Dante could not take it anymore and pulled the trigger.  
  
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[Today, Night other side of the alley]  
  
"R.J?"  
  
Dawn stepped out of the bar in search for R.J.. He was not inside so she thought that he would cool himself under the clear sky. Under the clear sky? How romantic... Anyways she walked around a bit, still calling his name. Instead a girl from the cheerleaders walked out of the dark and straight to Dawn.  
  
"I know what you're doing, slut. I saw you. I saw you with R.J.!"  
  
"So? We were just dancing."  
  
"Right? You think I'm stupid? You're gonna back off now."  
  
"You know what's sad? A girl who can't move on when she's been dumped."  
  
"HE DID NOT DUMP ME!"  
  
The cheerleader started to pull Dawn's hair. Dawn started screaming and kicking all around her. She got lucky that she did because Buffy appeared from the bar doors, hearing her sister's screams and broke off the fight. The cheerleader fought out of Buffy grasp by knocking her in the chin.  
  
"This is not over yet. R.J. is mine, MINE you hear?"  
  
Then she ran away. Buffy wrapped herself up.  
  
"Well, at least someone agrees you shouldn't be dating this guy."  
  
Then they heard a gun shot.  
  
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[Today, Night Dante and R.J.]  
  
R.J. stumbled backwards and fell on the ground. He had just witnessed a man behind him, killed coldly and without any hesitation by Dante. The gun was still pointed at him. Dante rolled his eyes.  
  
"Dammit boy, now you make jacket dirty. This gives me more reasons to shoot you now."  
  
R.J. was scared to death. She slipped of the jacket and handed it over to Dante.   
  
"Please don't shoot me, OK. I did what you told me."  
  
Dante gave him a questioning look.  
  
"You know what. Since you are a thief, liar, and whiny. I will give you ten seconds to escape from my gun barrel. Ten, Nine, Eight."  
  
R.J. did not hesitate to take that chance. He ran his ass off. Dante just laughed and shot some bullets into the air.  
  
"Hahaha Run, R.J., Run!"  
  
He took the jeans jacket and shook it clean as Buffy and Dawn came around the corner. Buffy, again, almost got her hands up and hit him one straight in the face.  
  
"What the goddamn hell are you doing? Guns are not toys here to play with, especially here!"  
  
"Man, calm down! I just want to scare him thats all. And besides I did him a favour by killing that zombie over there."  
  
He pointed at the man he shot recently. Buffy walked to the dead man and kicked him up to reveal a very grey and decayed face of a zombie. She walked back to Dante and Dawn and pointed her finger at him.   
  
"One more time and..."  
  
"Jesus... can't you just cool it off."  
  
He put on his jacket again. He felt really happy and relieved to have it again. Buffy calmed down and turned her attention to Dawn who almost collapsed in sleep.  
  
"I am going back home to put her to sleep. Dante ahmm.... would you... just follow in case something happens."  
  
Dante sighed and rolled his eyes again.  
  
"I still can't believe that I am still pulling favours for you."  
  
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[Today, Night Summer's home]  
  
Dante was sitting on the sofa while watching the midnight news. There was a report perticulary in his interest. There were more dead people found on the streets of big cities than ever before. Similar cases have also been reported from other parts of the world like Europe and Asia. Most involved cruel cases like people eaten or blown to bits or sucked clean of blood and so on. He sighed. If thats goes on then the whole world could say good-bye soon. He turned off the TV as Buffy came with two glasses with ice and a bottle of black label. She sat on the couch and began to fill the glasses.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
"I am fine thank you very much!"  
  
She took the glass half full of whiskey and poured into her esophageus. Dante made big eyes as he saw the "wonder".   
  
"Its just the being a mother-type reaction thats all."  
  
She picked up the bottle and gestured if Dante would like some. He nodded and Buffy poured a half-glass full for Dante.  
  
"Well if its like that then I understand now the bottles of black label in the fridge."   
  
Buffy laughed as she started her second drink.  
  
"By the way I am sorry about before. Its just I am still fed up with Dawn's teen years..."  
  
Dante was surprised. He never expected an apology especially from her, the hardcore slayer.  
  
"Wow, if you continue to talk like that, I would almost believe that you are still a kind person."  
  
"The feeling is mutual..."  
  
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[Today, Night Summer's home some time later]  
  
Dante and Buffy have been talking and laughing about any stupid thing that they could bring up. The first bottle was already empty and a second one is about half-full. Buffy was talking about that one time when Xander was under the influence of a love spell (somewhere in season 2 I believe) while Dante was still cracking up. He could not control his laugh attack. When Buffy was finished, both of them quiet down a bit.  
  
"So well Dante you know I think you are a real pain in the ass."  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
Buffy moved near him. They were almost centimeters away from each other now.   
  
"Yeah, you just crashing into my life, turning it all upside down and stuff."  
  
"Oh yeah?"  
  
Buffy tilted her head a bit to the side to rest it on the couch.  
  
"Yeah, but then I am happy that you did..."  
  
She then moved in and lip-locked herself with Dante. Dante turned red. He had expected bashing everytime he was with her but not that kind of thing. But this was maybe that she was drunk. He pulled her back slightly to see her face which was making eyes at him.  
  
"I think sleep would be appropiate now..."  
  
He picked up the slayer and tried to walk up the stairs under the influence of alcohol. Buffy felt like she was riding on a rollercoaster so she "wowed" every time Dante took a step up. When he finally put her down to bed, he slipped and fell on the floor in Buffy's room. As he wrapped himself up again, barely holding himself, he noticed that Buffy was on the door locking it.  
  
"Hey man, don't expect that I will crash here."  
  
"I think I will..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I think we both know what we want all the time..."  
  
"What??"  
  
Then she threw himself on Dante. 


	14. The Jacket, Part 3

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 9: The jacket, Part 3  
  
Dawn slendered dreamingly through the quiet rooms of her home. It was a mess here. Two empty whiskey bottles, a sleeping Willow on the couch, Chips all over and so on. She went to the kitchen and got some cocoa powder from the kitchen cupboard. As she poured the milk over the powder in her mug, she thought about Buffy and how she and Dante brought her home after that eventful day. She should thank her somehow even though she was cruel sometimes. Their mother was gone and she was the only family left. And Dante, well he was still her...most special friend. So she grabbed two more mugs and filled them with cappuchino powder. She smiled as the hot water poured over the two mugs turning the powder into sweet milky substance. She then grabbed the three mugs, while zipping on her own, and walked up the stairs to Buffy's room. She tried to open the door but it seemed locked.   
  
"Buffy, Buffy..."  
  
Well, it seemed that she was still in her slumber. She put down the mugs, went to the master bathroom and came back with the masterkey of the house. "Ha, think that is so easy to lock yourself in," she thought as she unlocked the door. She then took the three mugs and opened the door.  
  
"Buffy, hey wake up! I made you some Cappu...."  
  
Her eyes widened as she saw the bed and the figures sleeping in it. She dropped the mugs and ran downstairs crying.  
  
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"Ughhhh..."   
  
Buffy fought against her sleepiness as she tried to rub her eyes open. The sound of broken glass brought her from the dream world.   
  
"uh... Who...?"  
  
She had noticed someone running from the room. But the light blinded the sight so she could not identify the person. She sat up. She felt more cold than normally, and nude. She took a look under the blanket. Her eyes widened in shock.   
  
"OK...It might be that it was too hot."  
  
She noticed bumps on the other side of the bed. Her cheeks went deeply red and the first sweat drops appeared on her skin. She took her shaking hand and slowly removed the blanket. White hair, mysterious caucasian face, well build features...  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."  
  
Dante rolled on the side.  
  
"Man, like more sleep please..."  
  
Buffy pushed him with her feet on the floor. She could hear how he hit the floor hard.  
  
"Dammit why can't I get some sleep?"  
  
He stood up to face his surprising alarm clock with feet. He stood there stoned as he saw the slayer hiding under the blankets. He looked at her a few seconds until he could check himself out. He was split naked revealing everything. He quickly grabbed a pillow to hide his manhood. Then he stared at her again before they both understood what has been going on.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."  
  
"Buffy, what is going on? Dawn's down again crying and the house is a complete me... OH MY GOD!!!"  
  
Willow appeared on the doorstep. She was still in her clothes from yesterday and her hair was sticking out in every direction. She was stoned, mouth open, wide eyes and another broken mug with cappuchino.   
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."  
  
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"Dawn, Dawn please listen to me, Dawn..."  
  
Buffy hammered again on Dawn's door like crazy. She locked herself in there more than 2 hours now crying her heart out.   
  
"Dawn, Dawn please... It's not what you think..."  
  
She heard a quiet "Shut Up" under the sobbing coming out of the room. Well, the "It's not what you think" line did not help to solve the situation after all. It just made it worse. Hell, she was split naked and slept in the same bed as Dante. What else could have happend. Buffy realized that denying the truth would not help to defuse the human waterfall. She tried to explain the events that let to the present.  
  
"OK, OK Dawn, let's face it! I did ...uhmmm... sleep with him. But I was drunk and stupid as always! Come on. I know you like him but ...."  
  
Dante walked by her fully clothed. He tried to keep his distance from her. Man, he just slept with his worst nightmare, even though she was hot. He did not notice though that Buffy's eyes were locked on him and they expressed even more lust than before that fateful night. As Dante disappeared from the stairs, Buffy went back to explain the situation.  
  
"... you know but he is more right for me you know... His love only belongs to me..."  
  
The sobbing continued.  
  
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Dante went to the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of whiskey from the kitchen fridge. He started to dump the light brown liquid down in him as Anya and Willow entered the kitchen. Willow snatched the bottle from him under his protests and Anya pushed him on the sofa. Dante, still under the influence of the fresh alcohol, tried to listen to the girls as they interrogate him.  
  
"OK now Dante we want to talk to you about whatever happend back there that night.."  
  
Dante grunted.  
  
"So you wanna read my rights now?"  
  
Anya intervened.  
  
"Not exactly. Basically whatever you have done in there was bad and stupid because..."  
  
"Man, woman! She raped me in there. I know this sounds weird but this is the truth."  
  
"Yeah, whatever... Anyways I mean that you shouldn't have done this anyways. Nor even tried or thought or anything. I mean I could have give it to you better than her...."  
  
Dante's eyes opened wide. This could not just be a bad dream.  
  
"What did you just say?"  
  
Anya continued.  
  
"Yeah I mean she is good but not as good as me!"  
  
"I need to get out. Some fresh air would help."  
  
Dante rushed out of the house as fast as he could. Both Anya and Willow stared at him as he left with a dreamy look.  
  
"He is sooo cute when he is shy..."  
  
"Will you are so right, something I would never admit... by the way what did they do again?"  
  
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"As with my heart, that you have taken with you. I will always... Argg damn"  
  
Spike was in his basement room praticing heart-melting lines, though unsuccessfully. He still believed that this method was a waste of time but what the hell could he loose anyways. Well apart from his coolness, he would make a complete clown of himself. He cleared his throat and tried his lines again as Dante stumbled into his room. He was sweating, trying to reach for air. Spike chuckled.  
  
"Hey, you just ran the marathon around the world or what?"  
  
Dante locked the door behind him.  
  
"Man you gotta help me. There is something going on here. Whole female population is after my ass."  
  
Spike listened carefully at the screams and shouts outside of the house. A swarm of voices, all female, were screaming "Come out here hot white hair boy" or "Make big momma happy". Spike was laughing.  
  
"Man you really got a problem here."  
  
Xander suddenly entered the basement out of the dark. Spike stared at him like at his prey.  
  
"Hell, I thought that you would do that entry later on."  
  
"Man, I finally got this thing working. I had to continue. Its just like a drug. That poem sucked by the way. And, what do all the girls want outside my house? I have never seen a crowd like that since my ... well you know what I mean."  
  
BANG  
  
The guys turned their heads towards the staircase up to the door. Loud noises of feet stomping and voices of teenie girls swapped through the empty house. The sounds came in closer and closer. They could hear the girls chatting about some hot guy hiding in that house.  
  
"Hey, maybe in here?"  
  
Xander took some steps backwards.  
  
"I REALLY don't like this!"  
  
The door opened and girls stormed into the basement all crying out loud:"There he is!" or "He's mine!"  
  
Spike stared at the crowd stumbling into his fresh basement.  
  
"Dante, you are not lovesick aren't ya?"  
  
"Man, no! But right now we should focus on the situation and get the hell outta here!"  
  
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"Guys, hey guys! Have you seen Dawn?"  
  
Buffy slendered down the hallway into the living room. She had talken a nap after trying for hours to get into Dawn's room. She was still sleepy though from her little escape into the dream world. Willow and Anya meanwhile were still talking about the man of their lives. They did not seem to notice her at first. She shook Willow's shoulder.  
  
"Hey, Will? Where is Dawn?"  
  
Willow turned around to give an annoyed look at Buffy.  
  
"Buffy, we are kinda busy here!"  
  
"What are you guys gossiping anyways?"  
  
Anya sat up a bit.  
  
"Well, Willow tried to explain the wonders of a love poem added with a little love spell. I still think that it is the silliest excuse to use black magic for love!"  
  
"well, Anya I still think it is more effective than to please him with stolen money from a bank!"  
  
Buffy was confused.  
  
"OK, Exactly whom are we talking about?"  
  
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"Run, Xander, Run!"  
  
The three musketeers appeared around a corner, behind them the biggest swarm of sex-crazed women since Xander's love-spell incident.   
  
"I didn't want this, I didn't want this!..."  
  
Xander was slowing down. His breathing became heavyer with every step. They have run at least three kilometers already without any specific goal to reach. Spike and Dante stepped back to help Xander on his feet. Xander took a look behind him.   
  
"They are gaining on us!"  
  
Spike grunted.  
  
"Yeah, all because of you!"  
  
Dante was getting hot, so he fastend the his jacket on his hips while he helped carring Xander's right arm. Xander tried to answer to Spike's comment.  
  
"Oh, yeah.... just huff.. huff... remember who you're living with....Who are they after anyway. huff huff... I heard them talking about a hot white hair boy?"  
  
Spike almost stopped running hearing this.   
  
"No, no way I am completly clean. I have done nothing! Nothing you hear!"  
  
Dante waved at the two.  
  
"In here NOW!"  
  
Dante busted a door to a garage open and pulled the other two guys in, immediatly closing the door behind him. The sound of the swarm ran past them like the sirens of a cop or emergency car. All three of them breathed greedily for air.   
  
"Well I have brown hair.... huff...huff, vampire grandpa. I means that they.... huff are actually huff... huff after one of you two."  
  
Xander pointed at Dante and Spike while lifting his head up high. His need for the 21% oxygen had priority. Dante and Spike were looking at each other questioning Xander's theory. Dante released the jacket from his hips and hung it on one of the crates.   
  
"Probably, but I don't to expose myself just to see if you were right. We need to get to that witch, so she could show us who's the real target of us three!"  
  
"TWO"  
  
Xander wanted to stay in his theory. Spike looked around in the garage.  
  
"Hey I think I got our ride."  
  
He pulled back the covers to reveal an old-school raven-black Harley. Spike took seat on the bike and tried to short-circut the starter.  
  
"Hey one of you lousy bastards try to find the garage door switch."  
  
That wasn't necessary though as the door opened by itself, but also revealing the female swarm of doom. All three of them stared at the flesh thirsty swarm, without any knowledge of what to do against this kind of problem. The swarm though did not move an inch from their position. After a while of staring a girl talked to the three men.  
  
"Hey, you have seen a hot guy with white hair and a jeans jacket around here?"  
  
Spike and Xander turned to Dante. Xander whispered, trying to avoid the "Scream" effect.  
  
"Are they blind or something?"  
  
"Don't know. Don't WANT to know!"  
  
"Well at least we know who's affected! But why aren't they storming you?"  
  
"As I told you, don't know, don't WANT to know!"  
  
But Xander's thirst for the truth wasn't quinched. Jeans Jacket, hmm.... Suddenly he grabbed the jacket and put it on himself. At the same time, the swarm recognized the man of their dreams again.  
  
"Its him with the brown hair. Get him!!!!"  
  
Spike took the time to figure out how to short-circut the bike. The engines fired up as the swarm recognized their new target.  
  
"Guys I am good, its the jacket! Lets get outta here!"  
  
He handed the jacket back to Dante.  
  
"I am not wearing this anymore."  
  
"Its yours I don't want to take credit again for another misguided love-spell."  
  
Spike was annoyed. How could they think of something else than not to escape.  
  
"Kids, we can talk about this later. but we need to get outta here NOW."  
  
All three jumped on the bike and drove out of the garage leaving dust and swarm behind them.  
  
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"Dawn, Dawn....why"  
  
She drove on through the night following the train tracks. It took some time to get Willow to locate her AND to knock her and Anya unconcious before they could do their "love" deeds". She kept looking on the side hoping to find the lying Dawn on the tracks. Though she could not get her thoughts off Dante since that small accident. It was her biggest emotional war yet, Dante or Dawn. The good times till death shall seperate us or Dawn living. hmmmmm. She shook her head. Its about a living person now who's willing to kill herself for love. All she wanted now was her safety not Dante. Love sucks. She could hear the train already.  
  
"Oh my god, Dawn!"  
  
She speeded up still keeping her eyes on the tracks.   
  
"Dawn, there you are."  
  
She spotted her lying on the tracks as she had seen in Willow's spell. She drove off the street and stopped the car a couple of meters before the tracks. The train was already gaining on Dawn's position. Soon it would trisect Dawn in an instant. Buffy had to hurry. She got out and sprinted to her sister. Dawn had already closed her eyes since the train was coming. She started to count the end of her life. 4. 3. 2. 1. But instead of losing her body parts, she felt if she was flying, only to land on the hard ground again. Buffy was fast enough to grab her and throw her away from the train. She herself hit the ground besides her. Both of them reached for air as the train went by, happy (Buffy) and sorry (Dawn) that it is over. They wrapped themselves up after the last wagon went past them to interrogate themselves. Buffy started her questions.  
  
"What were you doing? I mean, what is this?"  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"This is the plan? You're gonna steal uhmm gain his love by being trisected?!"  
  
"What am I—gonna compete with you? You're older and hotter and have sex that's rough and kill people. I don't have any of that stuff. But if I did this then his whole life he'd know there was someone that loved him so much they'd give up their life."   
  
"Dawn..."  
  
"And it would be true forever."  
  
"No guy is worth your life—not ever."   
  
"Dante is. And don't say he isn't. Look what you were willing to do."  
  
"Dawn, I would give him to you in a second if I could. That's how much you're scaring me."  
  
Buffy started to cry.  
  
"But I—I thought you..."  
  
"Nah. Well, yeah. My God, that guy is.... Let's not complicate this. Sorry. I think I might be under a spell here.   
  
"I hear ya."  
  
"Let's go home."  
  
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"That, my friends, is the smell of sweet, sweet, victory."  
  
Xander sipped on his beer bottle. He wanted to feel something else than the smell of burning cotton. The guys escaped town and started a campfire outside. They got the beer from an empty store which belonged to a woman. Nobody is going to miss it anyway.  
  
"And all for that stupid jacket."  
  
"Hey if it weren't for that stupid jacket we would not be here have the ol' guys only camping."  
  
"Don't get any funny ideas!"  
  
Dante finised his beer bottle and threw it in the crate. It was his forth one now. The other two guys were staring at him. Spike knocked on his shoulder.  
  
"Hey, you're on a rush?"  
  
"I'm just glad that this is over."  
  
"You felt the same thing right now after I was finish with my spell. Complete happiness, enlightment and all the other stuff that makes you feel good. Excluding sex."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Dante poked out the cap.  
  
"Cheers..."  
  
All three hit the bottles together.  
  
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Dante entered the Summer's manor. The house was dark, dirty and the table was full of empty ice-cream boxes. Everyone left for the bed. He might as well do that too. He was about to go upstairs as a voice from the couch stopped him.  
  
"It was a love spell, wasn't it?"  
  
Dante didn't move.   
  
"Yeah, it was the jacket. R.J. probably put it on after he stole it. We take care of him tommorow."  
  
"We did that already."  
  
The figure stood up to reveal Buffy. Her hair was messed up and her shirt was full of ice-cream. They might had an ice-cream war during his absence. It was a rough day for everyone. She stood in front of him, face to face. Both of them didn't know where to begin.   
  
"I..."  
  
They said it at the same time. Both of them released a small smile until Dante started.  
  
"You first."  
  
"Ok, I talked to the Willow and Dawn. They will keep it secret. It was all just an accident. I mean I was under a love-spell... and drunk."  
  
"That's good, that's good."  
  
"Do the guys know?"  
  
"Nah, not worth mentioning."  
  
"Yeah... Keep it that way."  
  
"How's Dawn taking it?"  
  
"I let her some space to think but she knows its just a love-spell."  
  
"Yeah, just a love spell..."  
  
They stood there for a while just looking at each other. There was so much more to say but sleep and tiredness was overcoming them both.  
  
"Lets get some sleep OK. Tommorow is another day."  
  
"OK."  
  
They both walked to the stairs as they remembered what they have done last night. Both stopped and laughed silently again. Dante waved with his head.  
  
"You go up first. You look like hell."  
  
"You too but, OK."  
  
Without looking back Buffy climbed the stairs to her room. Forgetting this would be a hard job. Dante stood there a few minutes. He looked back at the mess in the living room.   
  
"What the hell..."  
  
And he too climbed the stairs. 


	15. Calling out for help

Hi there  
  
I know it took some time to get this done. Please dont get pissed off cause you think that this is a new chapter, but i assume that you are probably. But I think this is important. Somehow I am running out of the will to write stuff. If you are interested to contribute to the story then mail me.   
  
GunmanZero 


	16. The Siege, Part 1

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
Dante gets called by Giles to Sunnydale to train Buffy in order to highend up her skills. Unknown to the Buffy gang though is Dante's true being and the new danger both of them will face.  
  
Chapter 10: The Siege, Part 1  
  
Shopping... The only one true activity which disconnect you with the troubles of your life. The only real stress killer. The only real meditation practice. The... Dawn could go on thinking forever about the advantages of shopping as the only free time activity. But right now, she was too busy thinking about the new tank top she was wearing. One of her friends called for her.  
  
"Dawn, when are you finished with the wardrobe. You spend ages in there!"  
  
"Just a second!"  
  
She looked herself in the mirror again to admire the top on her, deciding to buy or not to buy. Shakespeare in the mall! That would be a good one. She took it off and got her own clothes on.   
  
"Finally we were just about to leave you in there!"  
  
Dawn giggled. She took the top and went to the counter. Suddenly the "M-I" tune played out of her purse. The tune stopped playing as she took out her phone. Looking by the number, she knew what was coming up.   
  
"OK look girls, my sis is going to pick me up at the ice-cream store."  
  
Her companions stared at her surprisingly.  
  
"Oh, woman? Whats with her picking you up already!?"  
  
"I don't know, but I don't want to mess around too. You know her from counsulling."  
  
"Yeah oh well, we just come with you for an ice cream."  
  
They left the store after Dawn had paid.   
  
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The parking lot was hot and full of cars. Finding a spot was close to none. Everyone fought for a spot. Like the black "Sqeaky" van that just pulled up and rammed into the free spot. The other SUV driver was sticking his head out to scream the standard "&% you" before he continued on to find another spot. The driver went into the back of his van. Four of his other colleagues were sitting and waiting for the go-code. The driver took out his radio.   
  
"West 1-1 in position, awaiting go-code."  
  
"Roger that, West 1-1."  
  
The driver looked at the other four in the car. They were all nervous, especially one who was shaking continously with his leg. He clapped him on his back to quiet him down. He immediatly stopped staring at the driver. He just smiled.  
  
"All teams, alpha go,go,go!"  
  
"Alright, nice and clean guys, lets go!"  
  
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Dawn was sucking at her spoon. The banana-choc combination tasted better than ever. She already had finished half of her banana-chocolate split less than four minutes.   
  
"Damn, you must be in trouble."  
  
Dawn looked up.  
  
"Huh? No why..."  
  
"Aha...."  
  
A hand locked her right hand so Dawn would not cup up more ice-cream.   
  
"Honey, whats wrong..."  
  
Dawn paused a little before giving them a reasonable answer.  
  
"Well, its family you know... Devil's family..."  
  
She could not tell them the whole truth. Strictly forbidden by her all-knowing sister Buffy herself. The hand lifted up and went through her hair.  
  
"Dawnie..."  
  
"Speaking of the Devil, look whos coming."  
  
Everyone looked to the incoming person. Dawn didn't care. She knew that Buffy would pick her up so she took some more the the banana-split before she would have to surrender it to her girls.   
  
"So trying to ruin my fun again?"  
  
"I am just doing what your sis told me to."  
  
Dawn turned her head after hearing the masculine voice identifing itself as Dante. Buffy seemed to trust him more than before. The other four girls meanwhile were staring at him like some kind of movie star. One of them whispered something into Dawn's ear.  
  
"Oh my god, isn't that your hot uncle?"  
  
Dawn still could not believe this. Whatever she had felt for this man was gone now. Now there is just confusion, questions and hate. Yes, she hated him and what he had done to her.   
  
"Uh yeah... I gotta got to the bathroom."  
  
Dawn stood up and left the table. She was sick of this. Dante let out a sigh and followed her. The other four at the table could not stop staring him leave.   
  
"Dawn is sooo lucky to have such a sexy uncle."  
  
"Lucky!? What are you talking about. She would have married him if they weren't related. We should be lucky girls!"  
  
"Too true!"  
  
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"Dawn, Dawn...wait!"  
  
Dante grabbed her arm before she could enter the bathroom. Dawn immediatly shook it off and looked at him angrily.   
  
"Whats wrong with you? For the past weeks I think that you are actively avoiding me!"  
  
"Well, what can I do about it?"  
  
Dante shook his head.  
  
"Look, why can't we just make peace here and go on with life?"  
  
Dawn did not say anything. Dante continued with his speech to see if it worked.  
  
"Look, we have talked about this. I mean it was a spell. I was affected, you were, your sister..."  
  
"So? I remember that the spell only worked when you had that stupid jacket on. And what was that when I found you split naked in the master bedroom with my sister?"  
  
Dante rubbed his forehead with his hand.   
  
"Look, lets not forget the alcohol..."  
  
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! Look, I start to believe that the world has something against me. Everyone I met ended up in my sister's bed. And now what is getting better is that she has more trust and respect for you than for me. Why can't the world just do my a favour and grant me with some happiness at least?"  
  
Then she slapped him and escaped into the bathroom. Dante looked around to see that everyone had looked at them arguing.   
  
"Teenagers..."  
  
After hearing that word, the stand-byers continued their shopping trip, without asking themselves what had happend back there. Teenagers answered it all. The weird and learning generation. And Dante himself went into the empty men's bathroom.  
  
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"Dawnie, whats wrong?"  
  
Dawn grabbed her things on the chair. Her friends stared at her as if she had commited a crime. Dawn did not care what was on their minds. All she wanted now, was to get as far away from him as possible.   
  
"I'm taking a cab home. Someone want to join me?"  
  
"I thought that your uncle wanted to take you home..."  
  
"Umm... well..."  
  
Dawn tried to think of an excuse. She did not want them to know what went on outside the bathrooms. It was too embarressing already.  
  
"Well, he wanted to hang out here some more... You know, the usual tourist..."  
  
"Ahhh, so well, go along. We are going to wait for hi.... auch!!!"  
  
She was about to finish the sentence when her friend punched her. Both of them looked at each other giving themselves ununderstandable looks, at least for Dawn. She rephrased her sentence.  
  
"Well, we are going to wait for my mom to pick us up. She would come by here a bit later."  
  
It was stupid, but it worked at least. Dawn rolled her eyes and started to depart, when a tall man, wearing a "Sqeaky" cleaning company overall, blocked her way . She tried to escape through the sides but the cleaner won't let her go.   
  
"Hey man, got a problem."  
  
The man smiled.  
  
"Oh, yes. The fact that I cannot let you go."  
  
Then he pulled out his AK-47 and fired up into the air.  
  
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Dante had just washed his face, when he heard the shot. He immediatly identified it as an AK. A reliable, simple constructed, assault rifle, favored and copied by many of the world's armed forces and, unfortunatly, terrorist cells around the world.   
  
"No gun when you need one."  
  
At the specific request from the slayer, he was to keep his weapons at home and never carried them in public again since the incident with the quarterback. So he stood there, naked, in a mall filled with hostages and terrorists. But he was not a hostage yet. He walked to the door and opened it slightly to have a look at the situation. Light blue overall suits with "Sqeaky cleaners" on their backs. All of them armed till their teeth. They rallied all the hostages together. Dante slowly closed the door again to think. They would get here in notime to check for hostages. He needed to get out of there right now. He looked around the room to find something to escape. His eyes widened when he saw the air shaft on the ceiling.  
  
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"Dawn, honey your home?"  
  
Buffy closed the door behind her. She was tired. Another more day at work in school would kill her instantly. At least it was a friday. Weekends were coming up. Just nothing but sweet quiet two days of nothing but fun and...  
  
"Damn. I hate this..."  
  
She remembered her "tutoring lessons" with Dante. They agreed to train on weekends. Again no more sweet quiet two days of nothing. She crashed herself at the couch and switched on the TV. Her favorite sitcom was airing. She leaned back and enjoyed the two characters beating themselves up. Even though it was her favorite sitcom, her tiredness overcame her will to stay awake. She was about to shut off the TV and take a nap as the newsflash appeared on TV.  
  
"We come to you now live from Sunnydale, California, as the local mall was seized by an armed group. The identity of the group nor their leader is still unknown. Experts say though that it might be a terrorist faction in the US supported by many terrorist organizations around the world. The police have set up a non-access perimeter around the mall and await the assistance of the LAPD SWAT units, which are on their way now at the request of the Sunnydale PD chief."  
  
Buffy immediatly grabbed the phone and dialed Dawn's cell. In return, she got the number-does-not-exist tone. She started to sweat. It was not usual that she would have to save her sister again, but this was a different situation. No monsters or ghosts involved. Instead it was a group of trigger-happy humans. She grabbed her car keys and her cell and ran to her car, while dialing Willow's phone number.  
  
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Dawn and her friends kept themselves close together as the "cleaners" brought more and more hostages into the store. The cleaners have split the hostages into different groups and stored them in different places. Dawn has been almost split from her friends if she did not stay together with her friends. One of them was already crying, as do other girls and women in the room. Dawn tried to calm down her friends as another man walked into the store, wearing a different outfit of that from the cleaners. He was clothed completly in black with a leather jacket. He shot one bullet into the air to get the attention of his hostages.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen. As you know by now you have been invited to be my guests at this party. Nobody will get harmed in here if everyone do what I want. Believe me, when this is over and it will be over soon, you will all get to see your loved ones again. And, I don't want to say this cause you know it already, please no heroes ala Rambo or McClane in here. That would really be bad for him but worse for you."  
  
Then he left to spread his message to the other hostages. Dawn almost memorized the message word by word. She continued though to calm the others down so she would have something to do. But then she asked herself where Dante might be right now.  
  
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Buffy meanwhile arrived at the site. She exited her car and started to call for Dawn. The street was full of people, Police cars and TV vans. It was a mess of confusion. Everyone shouted and screamed for their loved ones. Some of them banged on the door to the CP the police has set up, a small bugalow, to get info about their missing persons. In the crowd, while continuing to call for Dawn, Willow and Xander appeared behind her.   
  
"Hey Buff, whats up."  
  
Buffy was relieved to see them. She needed their help now, both physically and mentally.  
  
"Hi, thanks for coming. I suppose you heard the news."  
  
Both of them nodded. Willow put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Buffy, we don't even know if Dawn is in that mall. Let me do a locator spell to find her, OK?"  
  
"I thought Dante was supposed to pick her up."  
  
Buffy put her hand on her head.  
  
"He does not even own a cell, otherwise I would have called him in an instant. But I mean if he did his job, then they shouldn't be inside that building. I would kill that idiot if he..."  
  
Xander calmed Buffy down.  
  
"OK, girls let keep it cool. We should split up and search for them, while you keep us informed when the spell located her OK."  
  
The gang agreed and split to do their jobs.  
  
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"I love this, just like old times."  
  
Dante continued to crawl in the endless shaft. With nothing for defense and a house with full of bad guys, how will he be able to deal with that situation alone. He needed help. But first, he needed to find out where the hell he actually is. So he went on in hope of an answer. 


	17. The Siege, Part 2

Forever Hunters  
  
Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
  
I will leave the Chapter # from now on cause they are confusing SWEAR WORDS YEAH. I have read your comments and you were right. They sound too robotic last chap. Keep the criticism up! Its the only way I can improve my skills. And the thing with Dante not showing off his insane devil skills(ie flying back to get his weapons): I want it to make a bit realistic, there are too many people camera men daylight = easy to spot. Remember one more thing, now its against humans, not monsters.   
  
The Siege, Part 2  
  
"Why does this shit always has to happen to me...."  
  
Dante continued to crawl forward. He has been in the air ventilation system for almost half an hour searching for a good place to get out of the ducts. He could, during his little adventure in the ducts, get some info about the terrorists. Seems like a bunch of crazy fanatics, but they are well armed and trained. All of them could have military or enforcement past. Their leader is only mentioned as King. What they want is still a mystery though, but it should be a big thing when they got about 150 hostages. But then these thoughts became unimportant as Dante finally reached a safe exit.   
  
"Finally, the end of my rat life."  
  
He took a look around to make sure that nobody was guarding the place. Then he slowly removed the cover and slipped out, finding himself again in some basement floor of the mall. And again lost.   
  
"Great, just ended my rat life and now I got this."  
  
While walking around the basement floor, Dante noticed that there were no sentries guarding the floor. Either they missed it or they were too lazy to spend manpower guarding a basement. Well who would? But however, apart from no sentries Dante noticed something else. That there was a melody playing, just behind the door he was standing. He slowly opened the door to see a small dirty office. An old record player hummed a slow jazz tune. Dante entered and looked around. Tables were full of donut boxes, empty coffee cups and building maps. Maps? Might come in handy. Dante was about to pick up a map when a big hand touched his shoulder. He immediatly turned around and smashed the unknown person on the wall with his arm on his throat, ready to sqeeze his trachea.  
  
"oohhh, mmannn kkeeeeep iiit cooool yo...."   
  
The fat man feared for his life. Dante showed no emotion. He did not even need to ask anything. It came right out of the fat mans mouth. He pointed at his ID sticking on his shirt.  
  
"Yo., see look look... I'm Marvin...Marvin..the janitor... I.uh.ummm I you know housekeeping and stuff..."  
  
The man was too fat and too scared to become a serious threat for anyone. Dante released his grip on him.  
  
"Thanks man..uh.. sir... I thought you want to kill me."  
  
Dante was surprised that the man did not know about the mall-takeover.  
  
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The police chief got his hands full with phone calls and radio calls from almost everywhere. SWAT units from L.A. have just arrived and were setting up their mobile CP (command post). The SWAT commander approached the chief. They shook hands.  
  
"Lieutenant Tennant, SWAT commander, any news from the terrorists inside?"  
  
"Chief Yale, so far we got that message from the hostage takers half-an-hour ago."  
  
The chief pressed the play button on a cassette deck.   
  
"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the party man inside the Sunnydale mall. Well, I don't wanna repeat the same message like countless other dead or imprisoned party members but I do it. All we want from you that you do nothing, and I MEAN NOTHING, apart from what we tell you. 1: I want a chinook helicopter in 10 hours and safe escord to the LAX airport. 2. A fully tanked 747 cargo coversion aircraft 3. 100 million US Dollars, we'll tell the payment method. Any attempt to anything will be met by severe penalties. And... by the way I can get very nervous when something happens... Cheers."  
  
Lieutenant Tennant was not surprised by the demands.  
  
"Big things for big mouths. Have negotiators tried to establish contact?"  
  
Chief Yale rubbed his head while he took a sip off his coffee. 20 years San Francisco duty and now this. He was getting too old for this.  
  
"No. Don't think we've anyone cool enough who would talk this much."  
  
"Alright... I'm gonna call up the FBI for a talker. Our guys're busy with another crisis in LA. And I don't think SF nor San Diego are going to arrive on time. Meanwhile run a voice ID on that guy through the database. Use Interpol if you have to."  
  
Both nodded their heads and went back to their posts. An officer approached the chief.  
  
"Chief, you gotta calm the crowds. They are almost ready to storm the CP."  
  
Buffy suddenly busted into the CP downing four officers on her way in. The crowd stormed the building and surrounded the chief followed by the media. SWAT officers reacted and built a line to hold off the crowd. Buffy could not move, with the SWAT line in front of her and the crowd pressing her from the back.   
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please calm down!!! We are doing all we can so you can get your loved ones back."  
  
"Chief, what about my sister Dawn Summers!!! Where is she??"  
  
Her again... If she was in it there was always trouble to come. The chief did know about Buffy's involvement in several "mystery" cases, like the Bazooka in the mall, the bank robbery, high school graduation... her name was listed almost in every case file Sunnydale's.  
  
"Ms Summers, we have to much on our table to deal with one single missing person, so please let us do our job and leave NOW!!!"  
  
Meanwhile in the back Lieutenant Tennant was talking with his other SWAT members.  
  
"OK now, let do our job. York! We need to turn up the heat. Were do we go?"  
  
York, the engineer of the team. He had done that routine all throughout his SWAT life, but this time he felt very nervous. He swapped through the maps and building layouts, anxiously awaiting his answer. He was relieved when he found it though again worried of one perticular thing.  
  
"Lieutenant, thats one hell of a building. Its wired internally with an emergency power supply, so that it will go off when normal power is cut and the controls for the heater are also inside. 1st floor basement, sector W12. Should be engineering."  
  
"Anyway to do anything outside?"  
  
"Negative, the only way to gain control of power and temperature of the building is to go inside and secure that area."  
  
"Great..."  
  
Tennant quenched his fist out of anger. York though had something to add...  
  
"But wait... there are relay stations... This one seems kinda build a bit further away from the building. So it looks isolated. Its not far from here under the parking lot. If we get lucky and find a control station there I could try to hack into the system and gain control from there..."  
  
Tennant liked the idea.   
  
"OK then do so... Take a small security team with ya if anything happens..."  
  
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Dante and Marvin were mowing through the maps like crazy. Dante did not have much time. The police outside would definetly try to do what they always do in a hostage situation. Power down Heat up. He had seen the location of engineering on the map but it predictable that the terrorist have that place guarded. Now they were searching for an alternate possibility.  
  
"Easy man, don't mess up my table..."  
  
"Oh yeah, send me the bill... There's gotta be some other way to do this..."  
  
Thinking fast was kind of a problem especially when they were under time pressure. Marvin suddenly noticed something on the map.  
  
"Hey... there is something... OH YEA..."  
  
Dante held his mouth shut with his hand.  
  
"Do you want to get us fuckin killed? They could have heard us!"  
  
"Man keep cool... This is third floor basement. A floor where the door to is almost hidden in a labyrinth. Besides the walls are too thick for any sound to go through."  
  
"OK brainiac. What ya got."  
  
"OK look maybe your friends from the police are going to access the controls at this relay station over here. With a bit of skills you can almost do anything with this building."  
  
Dante did not look surprised of what the janitor knew about computer hacking. That guy seemed like a computer freak anyway. Though he disagreed with the position of the panel.  
  
"Well good but that would be too close to do anything without getting yourself killed. Were're other things like this?"  
  
"Hmm lets see...... uh... yeah here under the parking lot. Its just first basement. It was going to be removed but that should still tick."  
  
"Hmm, great. Nice place for an ambush..."  
  
Dante took off his sweater and took the map.  
  
"Got any protection?"  
  
"What, like a condom?"  
  
Marvin was laughing hysterically. Dante slapped him so he could shut up and concentrate on the matters at hand.  
  
"What the hell ya think I am talking about. Guns of course, boomsticks, pieces, silver hands..."  
  
"What do I look like, some kind of black market pimp?"  
  
"...Damn... OK just sit down here and keep quiet... I'll be back..."  
  
"I think I am in somekinda movie.....cool!"  
  
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"Buff, whats up?"  
  
"Dawn's nowhere... Busted through police, got thrown out telling me that they have no time for this baby crap."  
  
Xander put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.   
  
"Yeah.. cop's your best friend... Look I'm sure she is fine..."  
  
"Xander, we don't know that yet!"  
  
While Xander continued to calm Buffy down, Willow appeared out of the crowd with some news.  
  
"Hey guys, Dawn's OK..."  
  
Buffy was relieved.  
  
"...but she is in that building."  
  
Buffy was about to shake Willow's brains out when she realized that she would be doing that to a loyal friend. Though she would take all the risks necessary to get Dawn out of there. Including forgetting to ask about the other person trapped inside who was supposed to take her out.  
  
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Behind the CP, Sergeant Witt assembled a four-man team of SWAT assaulters around him, including York.   
  
"OK, men you got lucky for being chosen to escord wizard York to a control panel inside the target area."  
  
One man raised his hand. Witt noticed him though he knew that some bad joke would come up. He nodded his head anyways to let him talk.  
  
"Sarge, why us? The action is in that house not with that wiz freak."  
  
"Officer, as I remind you we ARE actually going in and that wiz freak has saved your sorry ass countless times, so I think you owe him something."  
  
"Alright ,alright you got me."  
  
York welcomed the answer. Officer Biggs had a small disagreement with him only once, though it seemed that he would never forget that. How many times should be prove himself to be an OK guy, although everyone knew about his addictive love for... texan country music... Sarge Witt continued.  
  
"OK, Wiz York is going to fill you in!"  
  
York stood up and hung the map up.  
  
"OK, this is simple and easy but listen up anyways. We are going to this point here by going through this external entry point here. There should be a computer which I can manipulate to become our main environmental control panel of the mall, simple like a TV remote. All we have to do is secure the area and let me do my work."  
  
"How long..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Officer Wedge repeated his question again in a louder voice.  
  
"How long will it take you..."  
  
York knocked his two fingers against his skull. It helped him concentrate.  
  
"It depends on the system. I will count on 15 to 30 minutes."  
  
Sergeant Witt took the word again.  
  
"OK, men its like what Wiz said, a simple cover-his-butt mission, nothing else. Resistance should be very minimal, if any. Any questions?"  
  
The team held it silence. There was nothing more to add.  
  
"OK, gents, grab your gear and move out."  
  
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Dante arrived at the air vents intersection. He took out his map to see where to go next.  
  
"Righty... Main Ventilation Shaft... Main Ventilation Shaft... Ah there it is."  
  
He tucked the map back in his pocket and ripped the cover out, but before he got in he noticed a small crowbar in the corner.   
  
"Better than nothin..."  
  
He picked it up and stuck it in his pants on his back.  
  
"Man, what is this... All I wanted is to pick that teen up, tell her I am sorry and go home... but no... I gotta crawl in this damn shaft... damn forgot that I've still got a thing with that slayer going on..."  
  
He continued to talk to himself while crawling in the vent.  
  
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"CP, this is control team, the panel is just around the next corner, so far no resistance."  
  
"Roger that, control team, update me when you are at the site."  
  
Sarge Witt took his left hand back to the grip of his MP5 and continued to advance slowly forward. Behind him his team were following with York in the middle tightly holding the grip of his 1911 .45. Biggs knew that he was nervous. He elbowed Wedge slightly.  
  
"Bet ya 10 bucks that he will shoot himself first when we see tangos."  
  
Wedge smiled but he kept his eyes straight ahead. The Sarge gave the command to stop, while he himself leaned around the corner to scout out the area. It was a large room with a low ceiling. Big machines, ordered in twos a row indicate the pumping relay station. As he saw noone around he continued down the hallway, his team following closely. They arrived at the designated area and the rest of the team went around to secure.   
  
"Clear!"  
  
Witt breathed in and radioed CP.  
  
"CP, this is control team, area secured!"  
  
"Roger that control team, call me when York got everything set up."  
  
York began to unpack his necessary tools. He was about to touch the keyboard as a figure appeared wearing a cleaning company's suit. Biggs noticed him first. He aimed his MP5 at him immediatly.  
  
"Police! Knee down and get your hands up above your head!"  
  
The man jumped in surprise.  
  
"Yo easy officer easy..."  
  
The man got his hands up but he did not kneed down. Biggs got angry and leveled his voice up and his use of words.  
  
"Yo, your deaf? Get down goddammit!"  
  
Biggs moved near the man and got his handcuffs ready. The others noticed him too but only Wedge had his sub-machine gun on him since he wasn't a real threat. Because the real threat was in the dark and moved stealthly around them to get ready.  
  
"Hey, officer look behind you!"  
  
Biggs was confused but he did not have time to answer as the man pulled a gun on him.  
  
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Dante heard the shot. He also heard the answers to the shot. He had to hurry.  
  
"Shit, I hate it when I'm right!"  
  
He took his crowbar into his hand, cause soon it would see some action, and crawled faster.  
  
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The shooting continued as the five cleaners joined the gunfight. Biggs was already lying dead on the floor, his blood covered the ground around his head. Wedge was the next one to go down as his gun jammed. Witt pulled York behind a machine for cover, York loosing his gun during that time, while the other two team members were on the other side of the room.   
  
"Control team what is going on?"  
  
"CP, meeting crazy resistance, Biggs and Wedge are already down!"  
  
Witt leaned around the corner and fired a burst of 9mm bullets. It hit one of the cleaners in the head, who went down immediatly without any signs of pain. Witt leaned back to reload.  
  
"Damn, those guys are packed with everything, even armor...Raven, Johnson, cover fire, we are advancing through the middle!"  
  
"Roger that, sir!"  
  
Witt gave his sidearm to York.  
  
"I hope you know how to use this!"  
  
"HaHa..."  
  
While Raven and Johnson provide cover fire, Witt and York moved up the middle and crouched down for cover while continuing to shoot around the corners. Raven and Johnson continued to give covering fire but soon got hit as the AK bullets ripped through the small spaces of the machine killing Johnson. Raven saw Johnson go down but his distraction was fatal too as a bullet hit his left leg. He fell down and screamed out of pain.   
  
"RAVEN!!"  
  
Witt saw Raven and ran to him as he got hit by a bullet himself. Both men cluched their wounds screaming the pain out of them. York meanwhile fired his weapon mindlessly into some space in the hopes of hitting something. No use though. The terrorist meanwhile saw the two wounded men. Laughing at their "Special Weapons and Tactics" (SWAT abbreviation) the terrorist pulled the trigger and let the bullets rip through their bodies. York was the only one left alive. His gun was empty and he feared for his life. His arm was bleeding when a bullet flew through his skin leaving an open wound. He cluched his hands on the only weapon left, the screwdriver. But his time was already counted as a cleaner held a gun on his head. York closed his eyes, preparing for his death. Suddenly though an air vent cover fell on the cleaner's head, followed by Dante, who punched the crowbar through his body. The bloody end of the crowbar just missed the eyes of York. Dante kicked the body away and looked at the frightend York.   
  
"STAY DOWN!!!"  
  
He took the cleaner's Glock and continued his battle with the rest. The other three saw him already and were firing at him like crazy. Dante turned around the corner and dodged the incoming bullets while returning fire. He continued to roll on the ground firing at the last man as the first two hit the floor hard, their bodies pumped with lead. As he got behind some cover, he sat up and waited. His gun was empty so he could forget taking the cleaner out from a safe distance.  
  
"Shit..."  
  
Dante heard the gun cocking. Great, a jammed gun! He speeded up and threw himself on him like a football defender. Dante gripped his arms around his neck while the cleaner continued to wresle for his freedom.  
  
"How many?"  
  
The cleaner refused to answer. Dante tightend his grip.  
  
"HOW MANY??"  
  
The cleaner smiled though. Another cleaner, who barely survived Dante's bullets aimed at Dante and fired. Dante though did not get shot. The bullet ripped through the upper back neck of the cleaner immediatly killing him (medulla oblungata). Dante released the grip and rolled to the side grabbing the jammed AK, while unjamming it in the process. Before the cleaner could fire his second shot, Dante shouldered, aimed and killed him with a single bullet. The man fell back, hitting the floor hard. That ended the fight. As the fog lifted a bit, Dante let out a sigh and stood up. He walked to the injured York.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
He looked at the wound. York bandaged it while Dante had been fighting. The bandage was deep red though it kept the blood in its place.  
  
"Yeah... Thanks man... but the panel... I need to get there."  
  
Dante was about to help him up as he threw himself on him. A small but powerful SEMTEX charge blew up, taking the panel and the engineering gear with it. As the fog went down, Dante lifted himself up from him and sat down. They both watched the fire that burned the remaining pieces of the destroyed gear.  
  
"Dammit, a standard routine let the police sacrifice four good men."  
  
He looked at the dead bodies of the SWAT members.   
  
"It was a waste of time... So whats next?"  
  
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"King!"  
  
The leader turned around to face one of his second in command, Queen-2. He kept himself quiet, knowing that bad news were going to come. The soldier continued with his report.  
  
"Queen-3 reported SWAT on one of the panel stations. You were right about the SWAT plan, but we suffered some losses."  
  
King knew that this would have come. But he did not expect the loss.  
  
"Yeah, but the casulties were not according to plan! Let Queen-3 shut down the hallway with a small team, I'm gonna talk with our friends outside with this incident."  
  
"Roger that, King!"  
  
King went to their recently set up communication table, which they build in a phone and electric shop. Three terrorists were observing everything there was to observe: uncoded radio frequencies, the mall-cams, TV... King took the small radio off the desk and began talking. Dawn, who was confined on the opposite side, could listen to his speech.  
  
"Attention, police, SWAT and all the other dumbasses. You have disturbed the party here. And as you know after nature's law, actions have reactions!"   
  
There was an answer coming out of the radio.  
  
"Why, you know that this was going to happen."  
  
King knew this type of answer. Only negotiators would begin like this. He ignored the negotiator first and let him talk.  
  
"Hey, we did make that mistake... yes... but let us talk. I know you can hear me..."  
  
King let him talk for five minutes without answering. In the meantime, he asked his comrades to tell him the number of hostages. 162. King nodded and told Queen-2 to pick five of them. Then he took the radio again and interrupted the speech.  
  
"Nice speech, but rules are rules and you broke them. Now face the consequences!"  
  
Five hostages were brought to windows on the first floor, all of them handcuffed with a rope. All five of them were male, two of them wild teenagers with punk haircuts, who were crying in hopes of that it would end soon. The other three were normal looking adults, but they kept quiet, cause they knew what would come. Behind them, an equal number of terrorists were standing behind them, readying their guns, while a sixth one lifted the covers to reveal the hostages to the crowd outside. The crowd cried out, some people could even identify the five men. The cameras were all pointed on them. Everything was set up.  
  
"Now, for the love of god, I pray that this will never happen again!"  
  
King gave the sign. The terrorists aimed and fired. Everyone outside went silent for a second, then the first outcries were heard. Nobody missed the cold execution of the five men. King took the radio again.  
  
"I hope this should be a lesson. You have 8 hours left..."  
  
The terrorists pulled the covers back again and removed the bodies from the windows.  
  
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"Oh my god..."  
  
The three were shocked as was everyone around them. Willow was about to cry, so Xander pulled her into his embrace. Buffy clenched her fists. She then turned around and hammered on the car behind her, creating a small bump on the frame. Though she was relieved that Dawn was not one of the executed, she could not bear the thought that innocent people had just been killed and that anyone could be next, even Dawn! She needed to take action soon before anything else could happen.  
  
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There was silence in every corner in the CP. Four brave men just died for nothing. In addition to that five more hostages lost their lives for this act. The chief slammed his fist on the table.  
  
"Shit..."  
  
SWAT Commander Tennant rubbed his eyes to sweep the tears away. Witt was one of his best friends since the academy. Special Agent Roberts finally put down the microphone. He hadn't been able to part from it after for a while after the execution. He stood up and walked to Tennant on the other side of the room.   
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
Tennant did not face him. The truth though was that he felt the urge to smack him for his big mouth. It wasn't him though who would start this.  
  
"Yeah, feel it! My granma could have let out something better than that shit of yours!"  
  
Roberts jumped on Yale and the two began a serious fight if Tennant did not went in to interrupt. All what they needed now was a war among themselves. This would just do more harm to the situation than good. After the two split, Tennant announced something.  
  
"The government called during the failed Control mission. They asked if we needed support. I said we will be fine but now we could..."  
  
"...really use our help."  
  
Everyone faced the origin of the voice. A man in civil clothing stood there facing the rest of the CP members. Yale was about to kick him out until he showed his ID. Yale backed off and let the man pass.  
  
"Colonel Hicks, US Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. We got the message!"  
  
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"I can't believe that you left everything back there!"  
  
York was trying to get his radio to work. It broke when he fell on it accidently. Both of them crawled back through the air vents after the fight leaving all the equipment back there. The enemy could notice missing stuff that would lead to the conclusion that some members of the team had survived. They were back in Marvin's office. Dante walked in circles, concentrating on a plan to rescue the hostages. And for that, he needed help from outside.  
  
"Got that working yet?"  
  
"Hold on... umm yes... now! CP, this is York, do you read me? CP, come in!"  
  
The radio transmission was still unclear but at least understandable. It was Tennant's voice.  
  
"God, York you OK?"  
  
"Yeah, got a little help from someone inside here..."  
  
Dante snatched the radio from him.  
  
"You morons! Didn't you know that you are going against one of the biggest badasses here?!?"  
  
"Who is this..."  
  
Dante did not want to reveal his name. Nobody knew if someone would be listening on another line. But when he was about to answer, another voice came out of the radio.  
  
"K.Lo 1-3, this is Hicks, Report!"  
  
Dante could not believe his ears. It was his old designation.  
  
"K.Lo 1-3, Report!"  
  
Dante took up the radio again.  
  
"Lieutenant, is that really you?"  
  
"Its Colonel for you now, so report!"  
  
"Five tangos down, so are four friendlies. One survivor, me and a janitor in a safe hideout. No weapons, ammo or anything. Whats going on out there?"  
  
Hicks didn't know if he should really answer. But they got a right to know. It would come out sooner or later anyways.  
  
"Five hostages... executed..."  
  
Dante tightend his right hand, about to crush the radio in his hand. York put his hand on his face while Marvin was saying "Oh god" over and over again. It was bad news for all of them. The situation has made the wrong turn.  
  
"K.Lo 1-3, anything more from the terrorists or the hostages?"  
  
"They are good... um... well equipped, AK-47, 9mm sidearms, and grenades. Use body armor, play in teams, well organized. Must have military background. Hostages approx. 150 and more. Location unknown"  
  
"Alright K.Lo 1-3, your mission is to gather intelligence as much as possible, hostage location, how many tangos, organization... everything. I'll contact you again when the team arrives. You got that!"  
  
"Loud and clear, K.Lo 1-3 out."  
  
Dante threw the radio back to York.  
  
"Gentlemen, its time to play spy games!"  
  
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"Buffy, its nuts to go in there and beat everyone up alone!"  
  
Buffy did not listen to Xander. She walked through the crowd trying to get to CP. Willow and Xander were following her trying to hold her off.  
  
"Buff, let the police handle this job."  
  
Buffy turned around.  
  
"And what? To see some more innocent people killed?"  
  
"This is suicide!"  
  
"Well, I am not going to stand here further to watch innocent people getting slaughered. I WILL go in!"  
  
Willow and Xander stopped Buffy with their combined grip on her arms.  
  
"Buffy, The enemy is human now, not some demon, ghost, vampire or anything! And besides how are you going to get in there, without being spotted AND causing more deaths of innocents!"  
  
Buffy did not know what to answer. But what her friends were thinking was not wrong. If she would go in alone, she would have no chance with 20 or 30 trigger-happy men. And she would risk the lives of the hostages again. She was about to agree to Xander and Willow to return to the car, when two military trucks approached the site, stopping in front of the CP entrance. A lot of men exited the truck, carrying heavy bags of equipment with them. Buffy came up with an idea.  
  
"Xander, do you remember the G.I. role you played on Halloween?"  
  
The Medulla Oblungata top part of the spinal cord where the "breathing center", PCO2 and other life-supporting control centers are located. Even a needle is enough to kill a person if i.e. the breathing center is hit correctly. 


	18. The Siege, Part 3

Forever Hunters 

Devil May Cry/Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Siege, Part 3

CP was a mess. Broken mugs and half empty coke cans were lying on the floor thanks to Chief Yale, who swept the OPS table clean after the failed operation. He took a nap besides the whiskey bottle, unable to handle to current situation. Meanwhile Colonel Hicks rallied the recently arrived strike team to the planning table.

"Alright Gentlemen, hustle up! Let's get this thing started!"

The "Delta-boys" gathered around and took seats on the provided steel chairs. Hicks glued a copy of buildings infrastructure on the wall and took the recently cleaned wooden blackboard from OPS, scribbling down the facts of the situation. He began to brief the soldiers on the current situation, while still writing down the facts on the blackboard.

"OK, Gentlemen, we have got a hostage situation in the Sunnydale mall, already escalated into a more serious issue. Five hostages are dead along with five men of a SWAT team, their engineer though still alive and in that building..."

Some members of the team were shaking their heads; others discussed the stupidity of the SWAT. Meanwhile another soldier entered the scene. Hicks was a bit surprised as he spotted the soldier.

"Are we now sending the funny platoon into this type of mission or what?"

The soldier was a bit confused. Another soldier though answered Hicks' question.

"Sir, she came with us as a technician. Says that she must be good. Does not talk to much though and actually is quite hot without her balaclava on!"

Buffy was relieved. She did not had much time to finish putting on all the stuff she stole from the actual female soldier, whom she knocked unconscious. She was also damn lucky that the clothes fit her size! While trying to figure out what the funny platoon was, she remembered what to do in front of a higher-ranking officer.

"Sir, Sergeant First Class uhm... Simmons, reporting for duty, sir!"

Hicks saluted back.

"OK Sarge Simmons, remember to be on time and button up your BDU (Battle Dress Uniform) correctly!"

Buffy nervously buttoned up the remaining buttons correctly and moved on to an empty seat, while Colonel Hicks continued with the briefing.

"The SWAT engineer York, along with a janitor and a man you will be surprised to meet, are located here."

Hicks marked the location with a red cross.

"That will be our C2, since the enemy does not seem to know about this location. The three men are gathering intel and equipment to set it up right now."

The men listened to Hicks carefully and noted down almost everything he said, while Buffy copied her notes from the man in front. Hicks continued to talk about the facts, number of hostages, the tangos and so on. Buffy felt like back at school, still copying down the facts from the front. After some time though Hicks changed the subject.

"OK, now insertion method. As of right now we do not know enough of the enemy so we'll set up the strike plan at C2. How we get there is through the sewers down here, since the original route the doomed SWAT team took is too dangerous. When we get there we will plan the rest in there. All of the men including me must go. I have arranged with the SWAT that they will use their snipers to cover us when we assault the building. No worries, they will be well equipped, high-caliber rifles with night and heat-seeking scopes. As for us, we will go with..."

Buffy was almost tired of writing stuff down, but now comes the part she could not miss out.

"Primary: M4 SOPMOD, FMJ, silencer, no grenade launcher Secondary: USP Tactical, FMJ, silencer General gear, Flashbangs, HE grenades, Door charges, selectable NV (Night Vision) and heat-seeking goggles"

Buffy did not understand a thing except for the weapons from her training with Dante.

"As for our technician, you will be carrying technician gear and another bag of general gear and weapons for another man inside."

Buffy felt the urge to seriously beat him up right now for getting the most stuff, but as Xander said, orders are orders.

"Any questions?"

One man raised his hand.

"Who is our mysterious person inside?"

Hicks chuckled.

"You will know soon... Anything else"  
The room was silent.

"Alright gentlemen you've got 15 minutes to gear up and study the facts. Let's go!"

The men stood up and walked to their supplier. One man, Steve Jackson, tapped on Buffy's shoulder.

"Hey hottie, after this you mind going to Joe's and have a toast for the funny platoon's first soldier in a hostage mission?"

Buffy faced him.

"Yeah, but how about we toast on the first female soldier who'll beat the shit out of you..."

And she walked away, following the other Delta members.

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"Should this be enough?"

Dante showed the booty to York he got from the electronics shop upstairs on the ground floor. One box full of flat screen monitors.

"Are you sure you were not spotted?"

Dante slapped him lightly.

"Be cool bro! If they would have found me they would already be dead!"

"Hah, you're funny guy!"

York took out the monitors and connected them to his laptop and Marvin's computer. Couple of beeps later, York filled the screens with the video cams of the whole building. Dante and Marvin were pleasantly surprised by York's skill with computers.

"Be sure that you leave no traces..."

"Hey, "crowbar-killer" I might be bad at playing hide & seek but the net is my realm!"

Dante shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah... whatever. But anyway, I'm gonna go confirm the location and number of tangos."

He snatched the goggles from York's gear.

"You two get everything set up and wait for the cavalry. I'll be back soon..."

Dante was about to leave when York called him again.

"Hey, "crowbar-killer", be careful and don't go around massacring everyone."

Dante smiled.

"Hey, and you forgot your radio..."

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Sanchez's M4 pointed around the dark, smelly Sunnydale sewers. Behind him in groups of four were the other Deltas, keeping their sights for any other possible hostilities behind point man Sanchez. The commanding officer Colonel Hicks was the front man of the first group keeping both eyes on the map and on the dark sewers. Buffy was in the last group third ma... woman carrying the big bag on her shoulders. She almost tripped over and fell into the sewer soup if somebody did not catch her from behind.

"Looks like you owe me one..."

It was Jackson who had caught her from behind. Buffy shook herself free from him and gripped the handle of her assault rifle much stronger to let go some steam quietly. Jackson smiled and shook his head.

"Funny platoon..."

Suddenly everyone stopped moving. Sanchez has given the signal to stop and shut up. Buffy almost tripped a second time, but she was able to hold and crouch down quietly. Sanchez gave a signal to Chan. Chan nodded and went back to Buffy.

"Hey watch it buddy..."

"Shhhh..."

Chan was searching for a torch in Buffy's bag.

"Can't you carry your own stuff?"

"Shut up. You've got the bag, don't ya...?"

He went back to Sanchez and cut through the small fence separating the building's air vent system with the sewers. Once he finished he gave the OK sign to move on to Hicks. Hicks then rallied the men and signaled something to them. Then Buffy heard clicks from all of the men. Jackson tapped on her shoulder again.

"That means secure weapons and follow me. And give me that bag. You will need the strength to climb..."

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"So.. another man here, here.... and here..."

York was adding the positions of the terrorist on the digital map he set up.

"Got them...," he whispered through the radio.

"Alright, I will head back now. Think we got all of them."

York put down the radio back on the table. He turned to Marvin, who was still trying to gain access to the environmental control panel.

"Dante is coming back now. Are you on yet?"

Marvin slammed on the keyboard.

"Damn, Those engineering bastards forgot to update the entire OS when the new hardware came in."

York pushed Marvin aside.

"Let me."

He began to do his hacking magic.

"Maybe its just that your place is so hidden that the engineers missed it."

Marvin scratched his head.

"Oh, well yeah...."

"No worries, I will have it in a matter of minutes."

While both of them were concentrated on the computer screen, they did not notice the scary looking men approaching behind them. It was too late to react anyways when the muzzle of an assault rifle touched Marvin's and York's shoulder. Both of them jumped up in fear.

"Hands up slowly," a deep voice ordered them. They obeyed. Their hands slowly raised into the air.

"Turn around," the same voice said again. They did, and saw a bunch of men, clothed in black-ops uniforms, equipped with high tech gear and weapons. One of them, the deep voice one, talked again.

"Jason York and the Janitor?"

"Yes..."

Another one was checking the identity on his PDA. He nodded as the picture and the real one matched. The deep voice one was taking a breath and then lowered his M4. Removing his multifunction goggles he revealed his face to York and Marvin.

"Colonel Michael Hicks, US Army 1st SOFD Delta."

All three shook hands. Marvin knocked on York's shoulder.

"Who are they again?"

"Delta Force..."

"Ahhhh."

"You should get out more..."

Hicks looked around in the new C2, while the other Delta members spreaded out in the room. Buffy unloaded her backpack on a corner and sat down. Even with Slayer powers, carrying the double amount of gear was not that easy.

"Nice thing what you've done here."

Hicks looked at the map with dots on a monitor.

"I guess that's the tactical map?"

York sat down on the small office chair and slid to his computer.

"Yes sir, almost everything is set up. Just need some more minutes to access the environmental controls here."

Hicks placed his helmet on the table.

"Excellent, I'll start planning our strike now. Where's Eve?"

"Who..."

Hicks was interrupted before he could explain more. One of the men signaled by knocks to shut up. Hicks slowly took his M4 and crawled to Jackson. He pointed out to Hicks that somebody was coming. Hicks nodded. The footsteps were audible now, and were slowly getting louder with each step. As the figure appeared around the corner, everyone was pointing the weapons at him. The unknown man jumped in surprise.

"Wow, wow, wow be careful who you point that thing at!"

Everyone was confused. How could he knew if they were allies or enemies? Hicks switched on his flashlight. The light blinded the unknown person revealing a white haired well built-man. Everyone lowered their weapons.

"Nice to see you again, Lieutenant Eve!"

Buffy could not get her mouth shut. She continued to stare at the same man who busted into her life, messed everything up and much worse lived in her house. And why the hell was his last name...

"Eve! Goddamn..."

Jackson hugged the surprised man.

"Careful, your squishing me!"

"Ha, that's the same ol' Dante Eve!"

"Yeah, that's me. Hey Sanchez, hows Jackie doing?"

"More trouble since we got married, kids ya know!"

They hugged again. While Dante reunited with his comrades and greeted the rest of the team, Buffy still could not get her mouth shut. Dante ... Eve? After a few reunification with the few men he knew Dante stood before his greatest task he had now: The commander of this mission. He raised his right hand and greeted him like a true army Delta. His voice though changed from happy to serious.

"Nice to meet you again, sir. I see you're still doing the dirty work."

Colonel Hicks greeted him back.

"Yes, Eve. It's been a long time."

Both went silent for a while, both facial expressions unchanged since their hello. Buffy leaned to Chan and whispered into his ear.

"What's up with those two?"

Chan tried to say it in a more lower tone.

"An ugly story. Happened in the Mog (Mogadishu, Somalia, anyone remember Black Hawk Down?). Don't know the details either but in the end Eve hit the Colonel and punched the General in charge teeth out. Then he left us without a word. Glad though he's alive and well."

"Yeah."

Buffy raised an eyebrow while continuing to watch Hick's and Dante's face off. Finally, Hicks took the word and pointed at Buffy.

"Simmons got your stuff. You better take that and get ready..."

Then Hicks turned around and walked to the map table to prepare for the assault. Dante still kept his serious expression even after Hicks left him. While Buffy continued looking at them, Jackson was calling her.

"Hey Tech-girl, here."

Buffy turned around and caught a small bag with technician tools.

"You better get to work with that SWAT survivor before Hicks sees ya slacking off."

Buffy gave him the finger. Jackson only smiled though and began to refill his vest with the proper equipment for the mission. He then stood up and approached Buffy again.

"I wouldn't worry about those two. They had their days even though they were not the good ones. Eve was always the lone wolf and cowboy, something that the Colonel didn't appreciate that much. They fought as much as there are rice on a rice field."

Jackson was about to leave for the map table when Buffy held him back.

"Hey, what happened with those two anyways."

Only Jackson eyes were focused at Buffy while his whole body pointed in the opposite direction.

"You should better ask the Colonel or Eve about that."

Then he left joining a few others at the table. Buffy though didn't care much. More interestingly to her was Dante's past. Even after intense research done by Willow, they could only find his home address in New York, his name and his profession. Nothing more... So he did join the army and became a Delta boy. Good, one more info about he would never have said. Did he join on his free will, because of his dad or something else... As Buffy grumbled through the mysteries in her mind, she did not notice that Dante was right behind her. She snapped back to full conciousness when she bumped into him.

"Quite a mind burner isn't it, Dante Eve, nice to meet you."

He held out his hand and waited for a handshake. Buffy, still petrified by his sudden appearance slowly reached her hand and grapped his open one.

"I see you're first funny platoon soldier on a hostage mission."

"Ahm, Yes sir, can't wait to see action!"

Buffy faked her voice. Dante would have sure kicked her ass if he knew that it was her.

"Man you should do something with that cold. Want some action? York's waiting for ya."

"Yes, sir!"

Buffy walked to York, relieved that Dante did not discover her true identity.

"By the way, nice perfume..."

Buffy did not reply to that comment. Instead she just nodded and continued her trip to York to receive her assignment.

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"Alright, this is the plan."

All Delta soldiers gathered around Hicks for the mission briefing including C2 crew Marvin and York and the outsiders Buffy and Dante. Dante has changed his clothes into the assault BDU that were in the bag Buffy carried. He now wore a black BDU, covered with a fully loaded kevlar vest. He looked far different than before. More mature... professional... ARGH. Buffy knocked on her head lightly. Sure he was an ass but she could hardly resist watching Dante change his clothes, even though she had seen him nude before. Well, as far as she remembered though. But now was not the time to concentrate on these things. Buffy set her sights back on Hicks. Dante was still adding the LAM (Laser Aiming Module) on his USP Tactical, while Hicks continued with the briefing.

"We will split into a total of five teams making that three per team for the mall 1st and 2nd floors and four guys on the basement floor team. Since we are a bit short on manpower our little technician would have to go too."

Everyone turned to look at Simmons aka Buffy.

"What? You men forgotten what a woman looks like now or what?"

Hicks continued.

"Probably, But anyways, everyone will work their way up to checkpoint alpha."

Hicks pointed on four points on the monitor map.

"The basement team's spots are located here."

Hicks pointed at four other locations on a different map. Burt had to comment on that.

"You are not serious of these INDIVIDUAL alphas, are you?"

"Oh, yes I am! I don't suppose you have become rusty over the years."

Burt shook his head while Hicks returned to the original mission plan.

"When everyone is ready, C2 is going to switch off power. The basement team will then go and bang & clear out the floor. There are no hostages on the basement so you won't have to worry about using HE if necessary. The mall team will first wait for the SWAT snipers to clear out as many as they can with their first shots. SWAT will then signal us the go sign and that's were we enter and finish the job, same style, bang & clear... Any questions?"

As usual nobody had. Everybody was waiting to go.

"Alright now lets split you..."

Everyone was assigned to a team. Buffy got the first floor with Jackson and Dante, with greetings from Colonel Hicks.

"Great... I gotta go with the best team, a dick and a dork..."

"Simmons! Come here for a sec, will ya!"

Dante called her from the other side of the room. Buffy did not want to go. She was afraid that Dante might discover her true identity.

"What you want me for?"

Dante rolled his eyes.

"Hey, we are on the same team so we need to discuss our strategy."

Buffy agreed though she was still careful not to expose herself. She slowly went over to Dante until they came face-to-face. She kept her head low.

"Look at me."

A command which Buffy actively ignored. Dante was quite annoyed.

"Or not. Well anyways, I already switched your position with Reed."

Reed? He was on the basement team. How the hell could he do that. Buffy raised her head and looked directly into the Dante's eyes.

"What the hell did you do that for!"

"Because this is no fun ride for you upstairs, Slayer!"

Wait, did he just say slayer? How could he know? Buffy tried to act innocently.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stop acting, Slayer. I know who's behind that mask."

Dante used a lower tone so that the other members could not hear their conversation.

"This is not the time for theme park rides! This is serious!"

Buffy figured out that she could not act innocent anymore. Dante discovered her identity really fast by just looking at her. Or was it something else?

"How did you know?"

"Well your eyes for one. Two: your height. And you are the only one with perfume. And the same one you use everyday..."

Dante slid a magazine into his USP and loaded the first bullet in it.

"Anyways you can't go in there. Let pros handle the job."

"Pros?!?"

Buffy grabbed his collar with one hand and pulled him closer to her.

"You know what happened when the "pros" got in here. Five hostages dead! I don't want to see that my sister is going to be one of them when you "pros" do the job."

Dante shook her off.

"Well then do you know how to raid and secure a room in type B formation?"

Buffy went silent. Why would she need this kind of tactics. Killing and saving people would be enough. Dante shook his head. Instead of keeping staring at her, he took the bag that Buffy carried through the sewers and searched for other accessories. He was surprised when he felt something unusual on his fingertips. Interested in the object, he grabbed it and pulled it out of the bag. His hand held a weird looking scope, divided into two parts. He smiled.

"Finally, we get to see one of these red dot sights. But as I remember these Delta techs, they would probably have them second-handed from the SEALs."

Happily like a little child, he screwed the new gadget on his already loaded M4. While staring through his new sights he noticed that Buffy did not say one word about his decision. He lowered his weapon and faced Buffy again, this time with a lower and sencere tone.

"Look, these are humans. They know, they play, they think, they act. Demon slaying is much different from this. Barking in and mindlessly slaying those terrorist one by one will just get you more white sacks for hostages, and I am sure you don't want your sister to be in one of them."

Buffy looked down on the floor. She did not want to listen anymore. Who would? She had just been cut off from saving Dawn and the rest of the people inside the mall. Dante put his hands on her shoulder.

"I am going to save her, OK. I'll give you my word."

Buffy looked up to Dante again.

"Your word is not enough for Dawn's life..."

"Well, then that's what you have to live with..."

"Hey, you two..."

Jackson was calling them.

"Stop flirting with my girl, time to go!"

Dante nodded and walked past Buffy. During midway he stopped and looked back. Buffy was still standing there clutching her fist. He was about to call her, but then picked her M4, checked the mag, then put it back in and loaded it. She then walked past by Dante, shoulder-knocking him on her way.

"Let's go, Eve."

Dante smiled.

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"How long do we have to wait?!?"

One of the guard terrorists slowly lost his patience. They were waiting for almost seven hours now. King disappeared into a shop with the lights shut. The Queens had no idea anyway what the hell King was doing. They would wait forever for money. They all could smell something burning though and mixed with candles. Dawn smelled it too. She was in between several hostages in a small dirty corner of a clothing store. Her friends were nearby, some of them still sobbing. What a bunch of whinies! Though it was no wonder that Dawn could keep herself calm. She had seen some worse things than this before. Even so, she was afraid of her life. One of the terrorists entered the store. Excited as he was, he presented some good news.

"Yo, our ride has arrived!"

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"OK, blue team out! Waiting for go code."

Jackson nodded and began to radio with the rest of the Delta members. Dante, the leader of the team looked down at his M4, checking it to see if the weapon was alright. It was the only time killer that was left.

"How long does it take? We don't have time forever with that little bait!"

Reed was starting to get nervous.

"Cool down boy. And screw in your silencer."

Reed made wide eyes as he did see his unsilenced M4. Good that he did not shoot anyone downstairs before. The teams encountered at least five men before they got to their first checkpoint. As far so good, no one detected their presence yet. Hicks voice came through Jackson's radio.

"To all teams, get ready."

Dante rested the stock of his M4 on his shoulder and put on his multifunction goggles, switching them to night vision. It was almost time...

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"What's going on?"

King appeared from the darkened store. One of the terrorists came up to him.

"Our ride has arrived. Seems like they are working faster than expected."

King raised his eyebrow. He did not expect that the authorities worked that fast. Actually, he did not expect that they would respond like that at all! He faced the terrorist again.

"We are leaving this place as planned, Queen-1."

"But King, we can go now. Money's out there, our ride to freedom is out there, what more do you want?"

King looked deeper into his eyes. He was becoming a more scarier person, like one of those exorcists.

"I'm not going to repeat myself. We are leaving as planned!"

The terrorists stood there stoned at first. After a few minutes, he recovered and answered him in agreement. King smiled, but the smile faded when he went to their little radio station. He took the radio.

"Calling all teams, report in!"

A bunch of Rogers came through the radio. But King did notice one team on one part of the basement floor which did not answer. He tried again, but no one answered. One of the terrorists, working on the other radio station, took up his gun and began to leave until King stopped him.

"Don't use the hostages, I still need them. Prepare for unwanted guests, quietly."

The terrorist nodded and made a few calls.

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"OK, men everyone except for the basement team is in position."

York and Marvin were sitting on the monitors, watching the progress of Delta Force. They were both wired on headphones, which kept them on contact with all teams. One voice came through their headphones. It was Hicks.

"Who else is not on Alpha yet?"

York turned to look at the basement monitor.

"Hmm, this one is Turner, but he just arrived at his checkpoint... Yes he is reporting in and ready. The other one hmm... Its Simmons, she's still a bit far away from her point."

"Typical..."

It was Dante's voice now. Jackson interrupted.

"Hey, seriously how good do you know her?"

"Better than you think..."

Sanchez's voice interrupted.

"Guys, I got activity here. People movin', a lot..."

Chan's voice now sounded over the radio

"Roger, I got some too."

Dante slowly looked at the PDA camera, which went through small hole he drilled besides the door.

"Me, too. Guys, I think they know, we're here."

Hicks voice came through.

"Don't strike yet, wait."

Dante pulled back from the door.

"He is coming here. I think he's going to open the door. We need to go now!"

"Eve, hold, we go when everyone is ready..."

Dante was deliberately screaming through the radio.

"Get the bangs ready. Fuck it, Colonel. We must go now!"

First shots have been heard. Dante now screamed with full voice through the radio.

"Colonel, Go Alpha, NOW!"

"Alright, alright, ALL TEAMS ALPHA, GO GO GO!"

York was shouting at Marvin.

"Marvin, hit it!"

Marvin was confused.

"Where is it."

"Damn, I just told you a moment ago!!!"

"I forgot!"

Hicks was screaming too now.

"YORK, LIGHTS!"

"SHIT!"

York punched down the power shutdown button.

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The windows broke as the first sniper shots flew through, ripping the hearts of six terrorists. Grenades exploded at four different spots leaving a white bang. It blinded everyone effectively, including the hostages, who were screaming their brains out. Black clothed men appeared firing, single or burst shots, killing the terrorists one by one. The terrorists blinded by the flashbang, returned fire to an enemy they could not see. The bullets they released flew all over the place, hitting other terrorists as well as some hostages, luckily only injuring them lightly. The first floor teams had trouble with the cover. Enemy fire were coming from almost all sides of the mall. Including upstairs. Reed fell down on the floor screaming. A bullet went through his foot. Dante and Jackson went back and pulled him behind a desk. Some other men from the first floor had some trouble advancing through. Dante switched on his radio while he continued to fire. His M4 suddenly cocked. It was out of ammo.

"FUCK, LOADING... RED-1, THIS IS BLUE-1. COLONEL I NEED SUPPORT DOWN HERE! REED IS HIT!"

Chan's voice echoed through the radio.

"RED-1, THIS IS GOLD-1. GOT INJURED TOO, NEED SOME SUPPORT NOW!"

Hicks voice was hardly audible through the radio.

"I AM BUSY TOO, SOLDIER! I TRY TO GET TO YOU WHEN I FINISH UP HERE"  
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Buffy just went through the door to the basement floor, as the alpha go code was ordered. Why crawl through the narrow air vent shaft when running down, shooting all the terrors was much easier? Men... They complicate too much. She just had dropped her third tango, when her M4 went dry. Another man appeared firing his AK-47 at Buffy. She dodged the bullets by rolling behind a corner wall. Switching her weapons to her handgun, she returned fire at the terrorist, who was now hiding behind a bunch of wooden crates. No one got a real hit. Buffy continued to fire, when the slide of her USP locked. She was out of bullets.

"Shit, what now..."

Her idea came out when she looked down on her vest. The terrorist heard the cocking. He slowly rose from his position.

"Maybe you should just give up."

But then something fell besides him. It was some kind of small cylindrical shaped thing with a small red strip around it.

"SHIT!!!"

The terrorist jumped to the side and put his arms around his head. But nothing came. No explosion, no sound no shrapnels, anything. When he looked up to see what was wrong, he saw a black-clothed special op standing in front of him.

"Men, you are all the same..."

Then Buffy knocked him out with the stock of her M4. She picked up the HE grenade and put it back into her pocket. It wasn't even live yet. Actually, she forgot how to activate it. Buffy grabbed her radio.

"C2, this is black-4 fourth tango down and alive."

"Alright black-4, basement floor clear!"

Burt appeared around the corner and came up to Buffy.

"Hey Simmons, nice one. Thought I might see how you are, but looks like you got them!"

"Thanks."

The radio then interrupted their conversation.

"FUCK, LOADING... BLUE-1, COLONEL I NEED SUPPORT DOWN HERE! REED IS HIT!....GOLD-1, GOT INJURED TOO, NEED SOME SUPPORT NOW!....I AM BUSY TOO, SOLDIER! I TRY TO GET TO YOU WHEN I FINISH UP HERE!"

Buffy turned to Burt and the rest of the basement team, who just arrived. Burt nodded.

"Alright, James cuff him and take him to C2. The rest of us lock and load again cause we are going upstairs. Simmons, care to join us?"

"Nothing more than that!"

Before they moved out, Buffy tapped on Burt's shoulder.

"Got some extra ammo?"

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"SHIT, ANYONE STILL WAITING FOR SUPPORT, WE NEED TO CLEAR THEM OUT NOW!"

Four minutes passed by when Dante made his first request for help. Though it was just four minutes, in a hard heated battle, four minutes could be an eternity. Dante and Jackson left Reed back in the fast food store. Right now they were firing from a broken down arcade. Everyone had no more flashbangs, so bang & clear was not an option anymore. Dante's M4 went out of bullets again.

"LOADING!"

Jackson did not hear him. He was too busy with his own corner. While Dante was reloading, one of the terrorists was charging at him with his AK-47 up. Dante was about to switch to his USP, when bullets flew by dropping the terrorist. Dante turned around to identify the shooter.

"NEED HELP, GOT HELP!"

It was Buffy. A sight that Dante would never expect to be happy to see. It actually should be the the smell because he would never identify the shooter with all that gear on her head of it wasn't for that smell.

"I'D NEVER SAY THAT BUT ITS GOOD TO SEE YOU!"

Dante looked down her vest in search of something.

"THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK RIGHT NOW!"

He pulled a flashbang which was located right at her left breast. Then he faced Buffy again.

"WHEN IT GOES, TAKE YOUR TEAM AND CLEAR OUT LEFT, JACKSON AND I GO RIGHT!"

Buffy nodded and got ready with her team. Dante pulled the pin and threw the flashbang to the bunkered terrorists. The white cloud went up and Buffy moved out with her team, firing at the terrorists on the other side. Dante and Jackson went right as planned taking out the terrorist at the bunker. Then they continued to go right to the clothing store, taking out the tangos on their way. Dante meanwhile had switched to his USP since he had no more ammo for his silenced M4. Hicks meanwhile got to the last resistance of the terrorist on the second floor. Three last terrorists were hiding behind a counter, mindlessly firing at the door where the Delta's were hiding.

"DAMN, THOSE BASTARDS"

"COLONEL, I GOT THREE ARMED INDIVIDUALS, NO HOSTAGES!"

Goodman used his infrared option to see inside the store. Hicks nodded and pulled an HE grenade.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

He waited three seconds and then threw the grenade inside. An explosion went off, shredded clothes were flying through the door along with dust and blood.

"CLEAR OUT!"

Hicks' team went in and secured the room. They found three bodies behind the counter. One of them was still catching for breath till he died cause of blood loss. It was also the last thing he heard. Hicks was relieved.

"Red-1, all clear. All teams report in!"

"Red-1, this is Green, all clear!"

"Red-1, Black here, all clear!"

"Red-1, Gold clear!"

"Blue-1, one left!"

Hicks almost ignored the last report. The voice was hardly audible.

"Black and Gold, this is Red-1. Send one Man to approach Blue's position silently. I'll see you there!"

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"HELP, HELP ME!!!"

"SHUT UP!"

King was holding Dawn by his arm with a knife on her throat. Dante and Jackson were ten meters away aiming their weapons at him. The red dots were visible on King's head, shaking nervously around. Jackson kept on concentrating on aiming at King's head though he could not get himself to take a look around the room. It was full of candles and signs of the devil, goat heads, a weird wall painting in front of them and a symbol on the floor representing an upside-down pentagram. It was scary, even for Jackson. How sick could someone be? Dante though kept calm and a steady aim at King's head.

"Its over man. Let her go!"

"NO, THIS WILL NEVER BE OVER. EVEN THOUGH I GOT HER I CAN STILL FINISH MY TASK."

Dawn recognized the voice.

"Dante..."

"AH SO THATS HOW IT IS... BUT EVEN WITH YOU, YOU CANNOT STOP THEM. THIS IS THE WAY IT MUST BE DONE!"

Jackson was starting to get nervous.

"Eve, what the hell is he talking about!"

Dante did not answer. He kept his eyes and gun at the target. Three more red dots appeared on King's head. Hicks, Chan and Buffy appeared aiming their M4's at him. Buffy immediately recognized the hostage. She would want to shoot him right now, but then she would be risking Dawn's life. How can she knock that guy out! And what is this gothic like place? The other two men were astonished by the room. Dante continued to communicate.

"This is not the way how he would have it!"

"THIS IS THE ONLY WAY!"

Buffy was about to pull the trigger when the screamed that. King looked around him, watching the rest of the team.

"LOOK AT YOU. WE WILL ALL BE DOOMED BECAUSE OF YOU. LET ME FINISH IT. LET ME SAVE US FROM ARMAGEDDON!"

Dante had enough. It was time to act.

"DAWN!!!"

Dawn looked up, her tears still blinding her sight. Something is going to happen, she knew that.

"I love you..."

King was surprised. He lowered his knife a bit.

"HOW COULD SOMEONE LIKE YOU...URGHH!"

A bullet ripped through the head of King knocking him backwards.

"DAWN, GET DOWN"

Dawn hit the floor, screaming while Dante and the rest of the team moved in and continued to pump in lead into that bastard. Dante continued to shoot though when Hicks ordered to seize fire. King's lifeless body was loaded with lead by Dante's USP until all of his twelve bullets were inside King's guts. Dante then turned around and walked back to Dawn. She was still crying. Dante kneeled down and lifted her head up. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to say a thousand things to him but Dante just put his finger to her mouth.

"Its OK... Its over..."

Then Dawn embraced Dante crying her heart out.

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It was almost midnight, when the heroes along with the hostages came out of the mall. Some of the relatives ran into the hostage crowd to find and reunite with their beloved after this horrible event. The police did not stop them. They were all tired anyway. Dante was carrying Dawn out. He told Buffy to take another route out of the mall and meet them at their house while he was delivering Dawn to Willow, Xander, Anya and Spike outside. He left Dawn nearby an ambulance wagon and put his finger on mouth. Dawn nodded. She knew what she had to do. While Dante and the Delta members disappeared from the scene, Dawn heard voices calling her name. It was Willow. Dawn ran to her and embraced her like she had never before. It was good to get to be close to someone you know. She did the same with Xander, Anya and Spike, who was almost ready to go in alone Buffy-style, with a pack full of swords and knives. Though Dawn wondered though were Buffy was. Willow smiled and led her to the van. She opened the door and told her to get in. Dawn did and was almost startled by the black figure inside. She was relieved though when the figure identify herself.

"Dawn, don't scream its me..."

"Buffy..."

Dawn threw herself at her, holding her as hard as she could. It was almost that she never wanted to let go anymore. After a while she released her though, cause something hard was in between.

"Buffy, what is this?"

"Oh, you know I kicked terrorist ass G.I. Joe style. Don't tell anyone though..."

"You were there..."

"What do you mean. Of course I was in there. Do you think I would let them kidnap you?"

Buffy was almost ready to burst out her tears. Dawn touched her face.

"My guardian angel..."

Buffy put a hand on Dawn's hand, which was still stoking her face.

"No, much better... your sister..."

They both hugged again and tears were flowing off both of them. The other four were watching them, even Spike would almost come to tears if not Anya reminded him that they were demons and that they should keep composure even in that heartbreaking happy-end movie moment. Then they all got into the car and drove back home, leaving the scene which was once a horror moment in Sunnydale's history.

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The door to the Summer's house opened and Dante stepped in, half drunk. The living room was dark as usual. Right now he needed some sleep, but first he need to check something. He went upstairs and noticed that the "DANTE NO ENTER" sign on Dawn's door has been ripped off. He walked to Dawn's room and opened the door. Her room was dark, but he could still see two figures sleeping peacefully under a double blanket. Dante smiled. He was about to leave when he heard a small voice.

"She asked about you. Where did you went off?"

Dante turned around and saw the slayer in her night clothes standing in front of him. Dante let out a sigh and looked at Dawn again.

"Needed to get some memories back and get York & Marvin drunk."

Buffy leaned on the door. Dante continued with his story at the bar. It was obvious that he got some hard stuff as well. Buffy could smell the alcohol, the heat coming from him and the sweat from his skin.

"Was the first time Hicks didn't start a fight. Other guys tell me that would be the world record. Hope that'll not last. I kinda miss our fights.

"Dante..."

"Hmmm..."

"I thank you... that you saved her..."

"Yeah... You know, it wasn't bad after all to have you back there."

"Hmmm."

They both went silent for a while, Dante keeping his eyes on the sleeping Dawn and Buffy keeping her eyes in the floor. Buffy then changed the subject.

"Well, did you find out who set it all up? And that last guy, you knew him, didn't you?"

Dante did not say anything. Buffy knew he did not want to talk about it tonight. It might be that he was once a comrade of Dante's

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

"He once fought on our side. Hell, I even gave this guy a drink."

Buffy looked up to him and caught a small necklace from Dante.

"This is the sign of the Order of the Vatican Knights. I'm sure he acted on his own. No one of them would pull off such a thing like massacre."

Buffy still analyzed the sign with her fingers.

"I'll see, if we can dig something up."

"Yeah, but first tomorrow. You need some sleep, you look like hell..."

"Don't tell me..."

"Yeah, well I'm crashin'. Night..."

"Goodnight..."

And then Buffy closed Dawn's door.

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A man dressed in pitch black robes with a small white collar entered a new section through the wide halls of an ancient building. He was carrying a bunch of documents with him. He seemed in a hurry cause he was practically running through the corridors, without greeting his other co-workers. At the end of the corridor he opened another door leading him to a new room. An older looking man dressed in violet-white striped robe was sitting at the table, scribbling his signature on some documents. The pitch-black dressed man threw the documents on his table.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour but we found the renegade..."

The man on the table took the documents and read the reports along with the pictures that came with it. When he was finished, he took his glasses off and looked down his desk, which was full of pens and papers.

"So it was true..."

"I await your orders, your eminence."

He looked at the man, who gave him the documents.

"Inform the others about this around the world. Such cruelty as this must not happen again, ever. I will go inform our holiness about this incident."

"Yes, your eminence."

As the man left the room, the elder looked outside the window. There were birds on the trees singing the song of life. Untouched, Untamed, Peaceful... The elder breathed out heavily.

"So, it begins..."

Some time after the pitched black dressed man exited the ancient building and called a taxi.

"To the International Airport, please!"

"You got it!"

The last words he would hear in this country as the taxi left the Vatican City.


End file.
